The Fifth Princess
by Ariel1
Summary: The Fifth Princess of Tortall, Zoe, is tired of being royalty. The only way out appears to be running away - so she does!
1. A Royal Marriage

Disclaimer: This takes place in the year 654 in Corus, Tortall. That's about 200 years after Page, if you want a sense of things. There's a completely new royal family that me and some friends have created, so they're mine. The lands, however, are not.   
  
  
The year was 629. Irena Zoe Crysyn of Mindelan was 25 years old, and had the most massive case of butterflies ever in her entire life. Of course, it was expected for the young girl to be nervous, as it was her wedding day. She stood on a small stool as several women fussed with her long, thick chestnut hair, applied make-up to her fair skin and around her dark blue eyes, smoothed the flowing white gown over her shapely 5'6" frame, making her look perfect. The girls helped Irena off the stool and lead her to a wing of the gigantic Royal Cathedral, where in mere hours, she would become Queen of Tortall.   
  
Irena remembered the day when her family had been approached by several King's messengers, asking her prescense at one of King Nathaniel's royal balls. All nobles were always invited to such events, but Irena rarely went. She thought it was strange to have her prescense specfically requested, and curious, she decided to attend, wearing a flattering dark blue gown to compliment her eyes. When she arrived, she quickly learned the purpose of the ball. King Nathaniel's son, Nathaniel the III, had recently been knighted. Nathaniel the III had been born late in the King's life, as a last resort more than anything else. King Nathaniel had had three sons, Brent the IV, Christopher and Jason. They had all grown up and become capable knights. Edward was named heir, and his marriage was to take place when he was 22, after returning from campaigning with his two brothers. Hillmen and other haters of the Royal Family had learned of their mission, though, and in a meticulously planned ambush, all three sons were killed. Nathaniel was already getting older, at the age of 50, and now had no heir. In a last ditch effort, his wife Carlette was able to concieve again, and Nathaniel the III was born. At the age of 18, he was in need of a wife, which was the reason for the ball. His father was almost 60, and his health had recently began to fail. The balls held over the following months would be dedicated solely to finding a proper wife for Nathaniel, one who would be able to bear several capable heirs to the throne.   
  
Irena had only gone to two balls when she had been chosen as the lady who would become the next Queen of Tortall. She was only 15 when it occured, and was escastic. The next ten years were devoted to marriage prepartions, delayed for several years by a skirmish between Tortall and Tusaine, but the day had finally arrived. King Nathaniel had been diagnosed with a failing heart only a week before the marriage ceremony. It was obvious that he would not be around for much longer. The ceremony was elaborate, and seemed to go on forever. Irena found herself passing the time when studying Nathaniel's features - his strong jawbone, a stark contrast to his high, almost delicate cheekbones. His jet black hair was long and tied back tightly in a horsetail, trailing along the base of his neck. His brown eyes were always intensely focused on something, and Irena found that when he looked straight at her, chills ran down her spine. Then, four hours later, they were married.   
  
Nathaniel and Irena were blessed with three childless years to allow one another to learn about each other, and slowly fall in love. In the winter of 632, Irena became pregnant, and in October of the same year, gave birth to who would later be announced as the heir to the throne, Brent the V of Conte. Two and a half years later, Irena was pregnant again, giving birth to their first daughter, Natalie Irena of Conte, in June of 635. Almost immediately following Natalia's birth, Irena became pregnant again, giving birth to another boy, Ashton Stephen of Conte, in January of 636. Irena was allowed only a few short months to take care of her children before she found herself pregnant once again, this time with triplets. Some members of court worried if she could make it through another pregnancy, but she was only 33, and had plenty of child-bearing years still ahead of her. In April of 637, Irena gave birth to the third prince of Conte, Robert Jonathon, the second princess, Lilith Thayet, and the fourth prince, Jason Gregory. After such a hard pregnancy, Irena was happy to find that she managed to stay without child for a full year, allowing her time to focus on herself for once, and the six beautiful children she had already beared. In the beginning of 639, Irena was delighted to find she was pregnant again - this time with twins - and in November, Carenna Elise and Elisa Carenn entered into the world. A year after the twins, the Fifth Princess of Tortall, Zoe Annette, was born, and caused quite a controversy. Her eight other children all had some variant of brown hair, and either blue or brown eyes, which made perfect sense, as both Irena and Nathaniel had dark hair and those colour eyes. Zoe, however, had hair so blonde it was almost silver, and pale eyes the colour of moonlight. No sort of test could be done to say who the father was for sure, although everyone suspected that Irena had cheated on her husband. Irena vehemently denied the accusations - they were all false. Besides, she had thought with a smirk, so what if I had cheated? Nathaniel had done the same to her, while she was pregnant with the triplets. The result had been a golden brown haired girl named Ophelia Bentley, who was paid a healthy stipend each month to keep herself comfortable, and her mouth shut. Irena had forgiven him - eventually - but she never sought out revenge of any sort. Despite what people thought, Zoe wasn't bastard princess number two. A year and a couple months later, the fifth prince of Conte, Kalan Myles, was born. By this time Irena was 37, and the many pregnancies had worn heavily on her body. She was reaching the end of her child-bearing years, and expected that Kalan would be her last child. However, when Irena was 42, she became pregnant once again. Everyone was surprised, to say the least. Brent was already 14, a promising squire. The last thing that was necessary for the Tortallan Royal Family to have was another child. But, the pregnancy held, and on May 4th, 646, Eldtrich Gregorian of Conte was born, the sixth and final prince of Tortall.


	2. Freedom

  
  
Zoe watched the girls walk down the Great Stair one by one. Quintuplet girls, who knew, she thought as the last one descended the last step, and the crowd erupted into appreciative cheers and whistles. Zoe herself didn't clap - she truly didn't see the need to. If there had been one presentation ball she had attended, there had been a thousand, including her own, which occurred several months earlier. Although the most common times for such balls were around the various annual holidays and the warmer months, Zoe had insisted that hers be held in the dead of winter, and strictly not connected with the many Midwinter celebrations that would occur.   
  
Zoe hadn't been picky about anything during her four years in the convent, and she thoroughly made up for it during the preparations for her presentation at court. It was not that she was truly interested in having "her" day be perfect, but it was something to entertain herself with. And entertain herself she did. On the day of her presentation at court, Zoe wore a snow white dress made with the finest materials, and by the best seamstresses, it would shame a wedding gown. The dress was sleeveless and free flowing - she had specifically requested no corset or bodice, only a white breast band that she would be able to wear under it. The neck was high cut, sitting right up against the base of her neck. Over the top portion of the dress, delicate white lace was attached, and embedded in the lace were pearls. The dress slipped down around her slim body and legs, the material lapping at her ankles like white silk waves. Her silvery blonde hair was curled softly and worn down, a crown of white rose buds and baby's breath upon her head. Diamonds sparked on her earlobes, and on the straps of her shoes. It was the first time in Zoe's life everyone could truly see this girl was a princess. In a strange sort of way, Zoe enjoyed acting like this - until her shoes gave her blisters and a look-over thorn pricked her in the scalp.   
  
"At least the day fit the occasion." She said to herself as she was undressing late that night. Pausing before removing her gown, she walked to the window in her room, and surveyed the land before her, blanketed in pure silver-white flakes. The full moon reflected gently, making the whole scene magical. Zoe turned and grabbed the gauze shawl she had requested for the dress, wrapped it around her shoulders, and disappeared out of her room quietly. She reappeared minutes later outside, barefoot, spinning circles in the snow and screaming. She spun and screamed until she was too dizzy too stand on her now blue feet and her voice went hoarse, at which point she collapsed into the snow. She laid in the snow, breathing heavily and staring up at the full moon with eyes only a few shades darker than it.   
  
Zoe lay there, in the snow and the almost freezing temperatures for the better part of an hour. Eventually she rose calmly and silently, heading back to her room. She changed, leaving her practically priceless dress in a lump on the floor, and fell asleep under a good number of dark colored blankets.   
  
The fifth princess smirked, remembering her own presentation momentarily, and then looked back down to the beige coloured soup that had been served to her. Her mother, the queen, looked at her daughter sternly.   
  
"Zoe, the cooks do not cook for the stray animals of Corus. Eat your soup, and please dear, do use the right spoon." Queen Irena reminded her for the third time that evening. Zoe sighed and sipped up the tasteless, congealing substance idly, her mind on how utterly *boring* balls were. She gave a condescending glance down at the couples on the dance floor who were engaged in some sort of dance that involved rectangular movements and many false smiles. She snorted. How pointless. Slouching back in her chair and ignoring the icy glare she received from her mother, Zoe sighed. She was restless, to say the least. Four years at the convent in the City of The Gods had been bad enough, the last thing Zoe wanted was to waste her life sitting in a high-backed chair, watching people dance. It was painfully obvious. Zoe needed a life.   
  
The next day, after breakfast and the normal morning bickering with her parents about her future, she bathed and dressed in an orange dress and black silk skirt. Mounting her steed, she galloped over to where her brother Ashton was staying, now that he had moved his studies into Corus again.   
  
"Hi, Ash." She said, and flopped down onto his bed, sprawled out and lounging like a cat in the sunlight. "I'm bored. Deathly bored. I need a life." She complained, and rolled over onto her stomach, staring at him pointedly, expecting an answer. Ashton, rather amusedly, looked at her from his desk.   
  
"You also need a new shirt, that's a terrible color on you." He continued to scribble something onto a paper he was working on, then set it aside, lounging back into his chair. The room was claustrophobically small, but then again, he didn't mean to stay long. Just until his mother sent over a messenger telling him she was sorry they quarreled. He would be damned before he'd let her get the better of him.  
  
  
  
"So what kind of life were you looking for? You could always renounce your family and turn to the streets. You wouldn't be bored then. You're too young for me to suggest a love affair, though those always brighten a weekend or two. But I think you're asking more for an actual point and purpose to life. If that's the case, why on earth did you come to me?" Zoe scowled at her shirt, picking at the shoulder in disdain.   
  
"Mother bought it for me, and insists I wear it. I don't even think about looking pretty, anyway. I came to you because you *have* a life. I need advice, Ash. I've thought about renouncing the family, but I don't like rats, and the streets are full of them. Love is too much of a hassle, and I'm not depressed, so it's not like I can just take a blade and end it all. I hate Tortall, but I don't want to go to Carthak and study. I don't know *what* to do." She sighed,   
  
"Can you help?" She pleaded. Ashton thought for a moment, making sure to note that a member of his own family was asking him for help. He noted the date and the time, and even if it was a little sister, it was still someone going to him and not Brent.   
  
"You don't hate Tortall," he said after a little while of thought. "You might hate the palace, but you haven't seen enough of Tortall to say you hate it. I've found there to be little reason to hating countries because the country is the dirt and lakes and tress and if you hate dirt and trees, you have a bigger problem than boredom." He fidgeted a bit, unsure what to tell her. He was a big brother, he had to give some kind of advice. "Well, if you're serious... you could always ask mother and father to send you somewhere on a vacation or see if any delegations are going anywhere and ask to tag along. Although travel is often worse than sitting at home. You could always take a University class, I suppose. What do you like to do anyway?" he asked, glancing up from fiddling with a pencil.   
  
"I don't know what I like to do, Ash. I was content to have playmates when I was younger, and then Mother decided to send me to the convent. It was awful, but it entertained me. Now that I'm out and I'm older, I've realized that there really isn't anything I like to do. Not that I've found, at least." She laughed a little, "Maybe I should run away from home." Ashton nodded, remembering going through this mentality himself. Of course, he hadn't entirely grown out of it.   
  
"People seem to think we have such wonderful lives," he sighed, throwing the pencil lightly onto the desk. "Truth is, they're crap because we put so many restrictions on ourselves. All I can suggest is trying new things. We at least have the luxury of a University and a capital city. If nothing works there," he grinned a bit, "I hear Tyra can be amusing." Zoe grinned, starting to really like his train of thought.   
  
"Actually, I've been thinking about Galla. I could dye my hair, buy some clothes.. start a whole new life as a commoner. It would be great.." She said, trailing off.   
  
"It would be great... but?" he asked. "You trailed off there, I'm thinking I sense some hesitation. If it were me, Zoe?" He got up from his seat to grab a book from high on the shelf, then returned to his seat. "Start small. Try to find some amusement here. You could pretend to be a commoner here in the city. It's rather easy, we all do it at one time or another, I should imagine... except Brent and Natalia... Just find something before it's too late. And don't run off just yet." He leaned over to tweak her nose, something very unlike him. "We might miss you. Besides, I hate taking the full weight of our parents' dissatisfaction. They can worry about you turning into some kind of delinquent. It's kind of fun. Mom gets a couple grey hairs and Dad," he smirked, "Dad'll growl. Just find something, anything." He looked down at his book, then looked back up, the brother somewhere in him coming through. "Except boys. I'm one of those boys fathers warn their daughters about, so trust me when I say men are scum. Honest and truly. We'll always deny it publicly, but that just confirms it." Zoe laughed, and stood up, walking over to him and ruffling his hair lightly.   
  
"Okay, I'll start small. And no boys, I promise." She kissed his cheek, something she had never done before to him in her entire life, and headed for the exit. At the door frame, she turned and smiled warmly at him.   
  
"Goodbye, Ash." She said and left, an obvious sense of finality in her farewell.   
  
Late that night, after thinking about the discussion she had had with her elder brother Ashton, and a particularly dull conversation with Carenna about orphanage conditions in Lower Corus, Zoe had made a decision. Ashton was right - she needed to *go*. For the average person, running away from home, although still a fairly large and drastic task, was plausible. For Zoe, it required some preparation. Late that night, after the servants had finished cleaning, she snuck into the lesser used quarters of the palace, where Elisa kept her things when she became Ceridwyn Fleur, and crept into the last room on the right. Inside the room, other than thick layer of dust, was a large basin filled with water, several towels, soap, and a bottle filled with a gooey black substance. Releasing her shoulder-length hair from a tie, she bent over the basin and washed her hair. After toweling her hair, she applied the black substance liberally to her hair, and waited. As she waited, using a small brush, she carefully applied the substance to her pale eyebrows.   
  
More time passed, and Zoe made more preparations. She scribbled a fast note to her parents, explaining she had not been kidnapped, but had run away. By the 2 o'clock hour, Zoe was examining herself in a mirror, black hair falling around her face, two thin dark growths of hair above her eyes. Moving quickly, she packed money, food and a few personal objects that held great sentimental value. Silently, wearing a set of common, slightly ragged clothes, she slipped out to the stables, and readied her black mare, Nightshade. She mounted and urged Nightshade onward. She galloped through the city, only turning back once, after she had passed through the city limits of Corus. She studied the dark, looming shadow of the palace carefully, not knowing if she would 


	3. Goldenlake

  
  
For the first six days, she rode only during the night, on the Great Road East. Around 4am on the seventh morning, she reached the intersection between the road that lead to Goldenlake and the Great Road East. Turning north, she rode straight for 2 nights and the day in between, reaching Goldenlake during dusk. Trotting through the dusty streets, she received a few apprehensive stares from the people of Goldenlake. It was not everyday an exotic-looking girl rode into the town atop a large and obviously expensive black horse. Zoe silently cursed to herself, knowing she should have chosen one of the smaller, plainer looking horses the palace owned.   
  
"Oh well, too late now." She thought to herself, and dismounted in front of the Bird's Nest, a respectable-looking inn. She secured Nightshade to a post, and went inside. What seemed like a quiet place on the outside was loud and full of commoners and rogues on the inside. Zoe surveyed the area, smirking as she watched flower girls be pulled down onto drunk men's laps, bawdy ballads sung loudly and off-key, and more rounds of drinks being ordered.   
  
"D'ye be needin' any 'elp, miss?" A gruff voice, accented heavily in street speak, questioned on her right. Zoe turned her head back to the main desk.   
  
"Oh, yes. I would like to rent a room for the week." The man nodded,   
  
"D'ye 'ave a 'orse?" Zoe nodded again,   
  
"Yes, she'll need to be kept in a stable." The man nodded, murmuring something to himself softly.   
  
"If ye go back out, 'arrison'll 'elp you. Just lemme 'ave your name, miss?"   
  
"Of course, thank you. My name is.." she fumbled for a moment wracking her mind for a name that would not raise eyebrows when she said it, "Iris. Iris Callasri." The inn owner accepted the name as truth with a nod and a scrawl of his pen. Zoe paid the man when he requested it, and went outside to help the boy named Harrison, who was tending to Nightshade.   
  
Zoe used her week in Goldenlake to her advantage. The first few days were devoted to acquiring a sizable wardrobe of simple clothing, food, and various other objects that would help her completely assume her new identity, Iris Callasri. The end of the work week was dedicated to making up the rest of her life as Iris Callasri. She had been born in Tirragen to a young and wild woman. She knew her father, a Marenite, although her mother never married. At the age of 5, her father had been bitten by the traveling bug, and had left them for the exotic climates and people of The Copper Isles and Carthak. When she was 12, her mother and what would have been a sibling by a new boyfriend, died in the labour process. Iris, having nothing left for her in Tirragen, left and traveled around Tortall and the surrounding countries, only to come upon Goldenlake at this point in her travels. On Saturday, Zoe indulged herself, having a nice meal at one of the more elegant restaurants, and then a long walk near the forests that skirted the Tusaine Mountains.   
  
That evening, as she returned from her walk, she found a piece of paper tacked to the main door of the Bird's Nest. Releasing the handle and taking a step back, she read it and found it was about her. "Attention citizens of Tortall! The fifth Royal Princess, Zoe Annette of Conte, has been reported missing by the King and Queen of Tortall. Princess Zoe has blonde hair and light coloured eyes, stands the height of five feet, five inches and is of the age 14. She rides a large black mare by the name of Nightshade. If any person should see a young girl fitting this description, please send notice of her whereabouts to Corus posthaste. There will be a reward for the safe return of the Princess from the King and Queen personally." Zoe didn't know whether to laugh or to make a break and ride through the night. She studied the parchment for the next few following moments. What if someone made the connection between her new self and her true identity? What if Nightshade gave her away? Zoe couldn't fathom the idea of going back to the palace, facing her mother and father, and the disappointment of her siblings that she had broken free of the mold for a short time, only to be hauled back and married off to some old, dirty noble who undressed little girls with his eyes. No, Zoe would not resign herself to such an awful and undeserved fate. Looking at the parchment once more, she saw some more print that she had skipped the first time. The small paragraph read "Knights and their squires will be scouring Tortall over the following months, making several stops at every fief and recruiting commoners to aid their attempts. Any commoner who locates the Princess with the help of a knight or squire will not be rewarded." Zoe took a deep breath, and headed up to her room, packing quickly. She was leaving that morning, no one would have the time to find her, and once she crossed over the Tortallan borders, she was just another face in the crowds. She slept soundly that night, her rationalizations planted firmly in her head. After a breakfast so early she had to wake the cook herself, she, Nightshade, and her new identity set off for her next destination: Galla.


	4. Beautiful Stranger

  
  
Being August, the ride through the Tusaine Mountains was relatively simple, but Zoe took her time, riding during the day to enjoy the scenery, and stopping often to pacify Nightshade, who did not appreciate the rocky roads in the slightest.   
  
Midmorning on the fourth day of traveling brought her across the border into the northern country of Galla. On the sixth afternoon, after pausing for lunch among the golden and orange forests, she began to follow the small system of rivers that existed in the mountain-filled country, knowing they would eventually lead her to the capital, Cria. Zoe had no real idea of what she planned to do once she reached Cria - it had just seemed like a good destination when she left. She carried with her enough money to keep her fed for about a month, maybe a little less, after she found somewhere to live. But still, Zoe wanted to work, and prostitution was not an option. Could she be a bar wench? Did she have enough skill and patience? She wondered to herself silently. Or maybe she could work in a different type of store, one that sold books or horse feed. She was fair at math, and with a bit of paper and a pencil, she would be fine at a job like that. She hoped.   
  
On the seventh day of traveling she arrived in Cria. She had hoped to arrive almost two full days earlier, but by a bad guess she followed the single branch of river that lead no where other than into a different section of the Tusaine Mountain range, and so was forced to double back and lose time in the process. Zoe couldn't be happier to arrive in the bustling city. She had been traveling for almost a full month, having left in mid-July and it now being the second week of August. As she rode through Cria, creating a mental map of the city for herself, she noted with satisfaction that not one notice of her disappearance was present. She checked into the cheapest inn she could find, the Snake's Lair, a dimly lit, mysterious smelling place. The owner of the inn spoke with a heavy accent that Zoe couldn't identify, although she suspected it was either Carthaki or Tyran. He had jet black hair and pale eyes, like Zoe did herself. Zoe had never met anyone with the same looks as she did, and could not hold back asking the man's origin.   
  
"Sir, I can see you're not Gallan, but may I ask your nationality?" She inquired as they walked up a flight of stairs to her room. She man smiled kindly,   
  
"But of course. I am a Tyran-Carthaki blend, one of the most naturally beautiful. Like yourself, I see." Zoe smiled, and the man took this as the invitation to continue, despite the fact they had reached the room where Zoe would be staying.   
  
"My name is Ashlar Kedar." He said, placing an accent on the D. She shook his extended hand,   
  
"Iris Callasri. It's a pleasure to meet you, Mr.Kedar." Zoe gave him a kind smile, and in return he gave her the keys to her room.   
  
"Stay as long as you - we are a very nice inn, although we do not receive a great amount of visitors. Food is served 24 hours a day for your convenience." Mr.Kedar told her. With one more kind smile, he was gone. Zoe laid down on the bed, not bothering to remove even her shoes, and fell asleep quickly.   
  
When Zoe awoke, it was dusk, around 8 or 9 at night. She got up from the bed and surveyed herself in a mirror for the first time in a month, the last inn not providing one for her. Her hair was still jet black, showing no roots. Of course, Zoe knew it wouldn't. Her hair never grew once it reached shoulder length - she didn't understand it, but she was very thankful for it. Her black eyebrows made the dark circles under her eyes seem even darker, and cast shadows over her pale pupils. She was rumbled and dirty, and desperately missing her clothing made from silks and velvets, not the coarse material she was wearing. Zoe stripped and treated herself to a long, hot bath, scrubbing herself from head to toe. She dressed in a short, strappy light purple top she had sewn herself, and a black silk skirt - the one expensive item of clothing she had brought with her. It was her favourite skirt in the entire world. She did her hair up with a black leather clip, applied light make-up, and headed down for dinner.   
  
She dined by herself in a quiet corner, although she couldn't help but notice an incredibly attractive, older man watching her through a good portion of it. He had dark hair and pale eyes, like many of the people in this inn seemed to posses. He was tall, almost 6 feet 5 inches, and well built. He was dressed in all black, embroidered in silver. The man looked well-off, but not rich, and certainly not noble. Zoe was very intrigued. She finished dinner and sat, watching the stars as they twinkled into existence in the royal blue sky. At one point, soon after she had finished, the man stood up and sat across from her at her table. She looked directly at him, slightly nonplused.   
  
"Hello." She said simply.   
  
"Hello." He replied. His accent was the same as Mr.Kedar's had been, although it was not as thick, easier to understand.   
  
"May I ask why you're sitting at my table?" She questioned. He grinned, revealing straight, white teeth. His teeth shone that much whiter against his medium complexion.   
  
"I am talking to a lovely woman. May I ask why you are all alone?"   
  
"I'm a traveler. I'm always alone." She told him, looking him straight in the eye. He grinned.   
  
"You should not be. My name is Dante Kedar." He said, extending his hand over the table. She accepted it, and to her surprise, he took her hand and brushed it gently with his lips. She turned slightly pink.   
  
"You are Ashlar Kedar's son?" She questioned, trying to ignore her blush. He smirked slightly, but did not say anything about it.   
  
"Yes, I am his son. The eldest." He informed her. She smiled and looked down slightly for the first time, suddenly shy around this obviously older and very charming man. Dante startled her when he reached across the table and caressed her cheek with a callused finger. She looked up, greeted with his smiling face.   
  
"You're a very beautiful, charismatic woman.." He trailed off and laughed softly, "I do not even know your name.."   
  
"Iris." She told him, almost too quickly, in hopes he would continue his original thought. He smiled again,   
  
"You are a very beautiful, charismatic woman, Iris. Come with me? I would love to show you Cria.." Zoe's stomach did a backflip. Should she accept? He could be an awful man in truth, and do something awful to her if she went alone with him. Or he could be how he presented himself, charming and wonderful, dark and mysterious, not to mention absolutely *gorgeous.*   
  
"I.."   
  
"You will say yes? Please, Iris?" He moved his hand over hers gently, and all ability to form sentences seem to disappear from Zoe's mind. All she could do was smile and say,   
  
"Yes Dante, I will."   
  
Her evening with Dante was, in a single word, magical. He lead her all through Cria, showing her hidden oddities and alleyway shortcuts to everything. Around 2 in the morning, it had started to rain - the kind of end of the summer rain that often fell in August and September. Although it was a cool evening, the rain was warm, and Dante had taken her dancing in the park during it, holding her close and brushing rebel hairs out her full-moon eyes. The spontaneous date ended in thorough kissing in the park, and Zoe walked back to the inn hand-in-hand with him. He walked her up to her room.   
  
"You're a very special woman, Iris." He told her with a smile, stroking her cheek gently. She smiled and kissed him gently,   
  
"Thank you, Dante. For tonight." She turned and unlocked her door.   
  
"Iris, wait. Meet me again tomorrow night? In the park?" He grinned mischievously at her, and she laughed softly,   
  
"When?"   
  
"At dusk. By the bench and the willow tree." He told her in a soft voice. She smiled,   
  
"I'll be there." She replied in a similar tone, and closed the door behind her. Dante leaned back against the wall of the inn. He knew it shouldn't be possible, that people would call him silly, but he was in love with Iris. Very much in love. After spending only several hours with this one girl, he was more in love with her than he had ever been with anyone in the 28 years of his life. Still, there was something nagging in the back of his mind. The place where the knowledge of the catch was supposed to be. He cursed the catch of life, the one thing that always held people who were so close to perfection away from attaining it. Maybe, he thought to himself, maybe this girl doesn't come with a catch. Maybe I'll get my wish, maybe they'll be perfection. If only for a little while, please, gods, let there be perfection. His thoughts continued on the same trail as he walked to the other end of the inn and up a flight of stairs to his loft, and fell asleep, dreaming of his magical night with Iris.   
  
Zoe couldn't believe she had met Dante. Furthermore, she couldn't believe he hadn't realized she was 14, barely an adult. And even further than that, she had stayed out until 5am with the man! Zoe couldn't do anything except laugh, until she was sprawled on the bed holding her sides and gasping for breath. Goddess! She thought to herself. He's perfect. I know I promised Ashton no boys.. but I also promised Ashton that I wouldn't run away. And what does he know about all men being scum, anyway? Just because that's the way he views his gender doesn't make his views automatically true. And he's perfect, absolutely perfect. But..he's older. In his 20s, maybe even 30s. I'm only 14.. he's not going to want me when he finds out my true age. She thought to herself, slightly panicked. Zoe sat up, and then stood up, heading for the door,   
  
"I can't let things get too serious. They need to end now." She said outloud, and headed for the third floor. She walked up right to the foot of his bed in the loft.   
  
"Dante." She said firmly, in a loud tone. Dante grunted, and opened his eyes slowly,   
  
"Iris?" He asked groggily. He noticed her tense stance, and he sat up, looking concerned. "What's wrong?" He asked, reaching out and touching her hand gently. She jerked away.   
  
"No. Dante, I'm 14 years old." She said, a hint of remorse in her voice. Dante's eyes widened. This beautiful woman - no, girl - that stood before him, with her curved body and dark hair, striking eyes and full red lips, was 14. Only 14, barely an adult.   
  
"I thought you were at least 20.." He murmured softly. The comment wasn't directed at her, but she heard it. Zoe sighed,   
  
"I'm sorry, but I didn't get the chance. I'll leave you now. I'm sorry things couldn't work out." She turned and began to walk out. Dante sprung out of bed and grabbed her wrist.   
  
"No, Iris, don't leave. Please, we can make this work. Okay, so there's 14 years between us.." He fumbled for the rights words, and Zoe looked like she desperately wanted to remove herself from the situation.   
  
"Think about Veralidaine and the mage Numair, two hundred years ago! There love was just like ours, but the age gap didn't stop them, and look, they became famous!" His tone was one of pleading, something odd for a 28 year old man who was obviously secure and confident about himself and his life. She balked at him,   
  
"Veralidaine and Numair?! He was a black robed mage, she possessed wild magic! They visited the Realm of the Gods, they battled immortals and emperors and rode on dragons! This is nothing like them!" She exclaimed, exasperated.   
  
"Okay, so we haven't done any of that.. but the age! That's the only part that's relevant! He was my age, maybe older, and she wasn't much older than you when they got involved! It worked for them, Iris.." He continued to plead, and Zoe stared at him strangely. Removing her wrist from his fingers, she sat down on his bed.   
  
"Why do you like me, Dante? I'm a child. You know nothing about me or my past. I could be an assassin, for all you know!" He smirked,   
  
"So could I." Zoe opened and closed her mouth a few times.   
  
"You're an assassin?" He nodded.   
  
"Yes."   
  
"Oh. Answer my question." She commanded, finally. Dante looked her straight in the eyes,   
  
"I like you because you are Iris. Because of your gorgeous body, and your beautiful personality, and the magic that surrounds you." She blushed and looked down,   
  
"I'm not Gifted.." He laughed softly, and Zoe looked back up at him.   
  
"Not that kind of magic, Iris." She looked back down, embarrassed at her naiveté. He sat down on the bed next to her, taking her hand gently.   
  
"You're young, I know. But it's more than like, Iris. It's crazy and not even supposed to be possible, but after only one night with you, I've fallen in love with you, Iris." She gasped and looked up at him,   
  
"You have not." He laughed,   
  
"I have. No one can control a person's emotions, they do as they see fit. And my emotions have decided that I love you. I know you don't love me, it's okay, I accept that. But I feel we should give something as special and magical and unique as what our relationship will evolve into a try."   
  
"I'm so young.."   
  
"I realize you're young, and that you are naive about the ways of men and women and love. But I truly want to make it work. I think we can." He kissed her softly. She opened her mouth to say yes when an awful realization struck her. Dante didn't love her. Dante loved Iris - the trusting, laughing person she was as Iris. If things were ever to progress to.. higher levels.. she would have to tell him the truth, and the relationship would be over. She felt too strongly for Dante to let him live in her lie.   
  
"Dante.." She said, sighing. She took a breath to confess everything, but he placed a large, warm hand over her mouth.   
  
"Tell me you'll give us a chance. It may not work out, but damnit, I'm not going to walk away from something like this without even giving it a try." He took his hand away from her mouth, looking hopeful. Zoe couldn't tell him the truth, no matter how much he needed to hear it. She could only smile timidly at him.   
  
"Okay, Dante. We can try." He enveloped her in his large, muscled arms and kissed her.


	5. Family

  
  
Over the following week, Dante went around introducing Zoe to practically everyone he knew, proud to say that they were dating. Zoe smiled and was shy around all of them, not used to meeting so many friendly people. On Friday, he brought her to dinner at a nice sized house near the Snake's Lair, which turned out to be his family's house. A beautiful, older woman answered the door when they knocked.   
  
"Mama, hello." Dante smiled and kissed her cheeks. Dante's mother hugged him and murmured softly to him in a language Zoe didn't know, but assumed it was whatever their native language was. Dante turned, and Zoe was face to face with his mother. She was a tall woman, slim-boned but slightly rounded from childbirth. Her hair and eyes were dark, and she held a strong aura of motherhood about her, being both kind and firm, holding the greater understand of the world mothers always did. She offered her hand, and Zoe shook it, noting it was callused, like Dante's.   
  
"Hello, welcome to our home. My name is Karana Kedar." Zoe smiled warmly at the woman. She had a kind voice.   
  
"Hello, Mrs.Kedar. Thank you for inviting me to your house." Mrs.Kedar laughed,   
  
"Please, call me Karana. I will tell Ashlar and Esperanza you're here." Zoe smiled,   
  
"Okay, Karana then." Karana nodded with approval, and then walked away quickly into another room. Zoe surveyed the house - it was made of a darkish wood, furnished in lighter browns and deep reds. It felt very warm and comfortable inside, and Zoe liked it immediately.   
  
"You must be Iris?" A new voice inquired. It was higher than Zoe's herself, and when she turned, Zoe found the owner to be a girl about her age, possibly even slightly older. She was tall and looked surprisingly like Zoe herself, with dark hair and pale eyes. The only difference Zoe could see was that her hair fell to her waist, whereas Zoe's was much shorter. She was clad in a flowing dressed that was composed of purples, reds, and light browns. It was very flattering on the girl. Zoe nodded,   
  
"Yes, I'm Iris." She offered her hand, wishing it were callused, and the girl took it with a hearty shake. Like the other members of her family, it was callused, although Zoe noticed not as much so.   
  
"I'm Esperanza, Dante's sister." She said with a grin, "But I'll bet you've already assumed as much." Zoe laughed slightly, easing into her surroundings,   
  
"Yes, I had. But it is lovely to meet you Esperanza." Just then, Karana's voice run out strong from another room,   
  
"Esperanza! Peeling potatoes means *peel* them! Come and fix this!" Esperanza giggled and ducked her head, jogging off to the room Karana had called from. Dante and Zoe sat down on the living room couch, holding hands.   
  
"Your family is really nice, Dante. How old is your sister?" Dante smiled,   
  
"Thanks. I want to meet your family one day, Iris. My sister is 15, only slightly older than you." Zoe nodded slowly,   
  
"Do they know about our age difference?"   
  
"I haven't told them. They're welcome to inquire as they want, you don't have to lie. My parents are very accepting people. Alone, there is 15 years between my mothers and my father." Zoe laughed,   
  
"Okay. That makes me feel better." Dante grinned and kissed her cheek, tweaking her nose,   
  
"Now, about *your* family.."   
  
"You can't meet my family." She told him, firmly, hoping he wouldn't ask any further. Of course he did.   
  
"Why not?"   
  
"My father left me when I was five, and my mother passed away when I was 10, in childbirth. I have no siblings. I have no family.." Dante's hand tightened on hers, and she smiled at him.   
  
"Your father should never have just picked up and left you and your mother like that. It's not the noble thing to do." Zoe smirked,   
  
"We're far from nobles, Dante." He scowled slightly,   
  
"But the concept of being noble and chivalrous extends beyond nobles and knights, Iris. It's about taking responsibility for your life, and the people in it." He was surprisingly fierce in his explanation. "I would never leave you, Iris. Even if we end our relationship, I will be your friend. I will always be there for you." His hand had tightened so tightly around her own that it was beginning to hurt. She pulled her hand out of his grip, rubbing his back gently,   
  
"Shh, Dante. I believe you. You needn't be so adamant about it." He took her hand and began to massage it gently, murmuring an apology.   
  
"But I do, Iris, I truly do." She looked at him, her head tilted in curiosity.   
  
"Did something happen in the past?" They locked eyes for a long time, before he finally looked down and nodded. She moved closer to him,   
  
"What happened?" He look up at her,   
  
"My mother, when she was a young girl-" He didn't get any further. Karana walked into the living room,   
  
"It's time for dinner. Go grab yourselves some plates and dig in. I hope you'll enjoy a traditional Gallan feast, Iris." Zoe grinned, taking Dante's hand and standing up,   
  
"I'm sure I will, Karana." With that, Zoe and Dante headed into the kitchen, and the beginnings of the earlier conversation were forgotten.   
  
Although spending time with Dante was always wonderful, it also kept Zoe from her original plan. Days flew by like seconds, and the next thing she knew, she had been living in Cria for a month, and her money was practically nonexistent. She needed to get a job, like she had originally planned to.   
  
"Dante, I'm broke. I need a job." She told him one night over dinner. He raised his eyebrows,   
  
"You do not need a job, I will lend you the money.." She shook her head firmly.   
  
"No, Dante, I really need a job. I'm planning to settle in Cria, I can't be taking loans from people my entire life." He sighed, slipping his hands over hers.   
  
"You will have to start work in an inn or a tavern.. they're dangerous places for young women, Iris. I cannot stand the thought of something happening to you.." Zoe scowled. She wasn't sure what to do now. If she had been single, she wouldn't have particularly cared if her workplace wasn't the safest place, she could take care of herself. But, now that someone else was caring about her, it was different. She didn't want to work somewhere dangerous, risk hurting herself and the people she'd grown close with. Then, an idea struck her. She laughed at herself outloud, feeling stupid for not thinking of it before.   
  
"Dante! We're being so stupid!" He looked at her, thoroughly confused.   
  
"We are?"   
  
"Yes! I could work for the Snake's Lair. I'd be around your father, and you could come visit without causing problems. I'd be safe, and it would be nice money." Dante laughed, and squeezed her hands,   
  
"That's a perfect plan, Iris." He grinned and kissed her hands, "Everyday, you give me a new reason to be in love with you." Dante said softly, kissing her hands again. Zoe blushed,   
  
"You're insane. I'm 14." He grinned,   
  
"I know. I'm an awful, awful cradle robber, aren't I?" She grinned back.   
  
"Yes, you are."   
  
"But I'm still in love with you." Dante said softly, and Zoe blushed lightly again. He left money for the dinner check, and stood up, slipping his arm around her waist tightly as she did the same. "C'mon, let's go tell Papa about his newest employee." She smiled and rested her head in the crook of his shoulder, and they walked out of the tavern, heading for the Snake's Lair.


	6. The Search

Back in Tortall, the King and Queen were still receiving reports from all over Tortall. They were mostly from the knights, squires and Queen's Riders they had sent out, but some were from commoners eager to get rich, proclaiming they had seen the Fifth Princess. King Nathaniel sighed,   
  
"What are we supposed to do, Irena? She's been gone three months now. Zoe is an intelligent girl, I doubt she has stayed in Tortall. For all we know, she could be on a ship to Carthak, or the Yamani Isles, as we speak. She could be dead. She could be hiding in a cave on the palace grounds. We have absolutely no leads as to her whereabouts. If we expand our search to include all of the Eastern Lands, we will be practically inviting an invasion. If we do not.. we will, most likely, never find her." Nathaniel took off his spectacles and looked up at his queen. Irena sat down.   
  
"We can't expand our search, it's true. The Scanrans have been begging for an opportunity to attack, and they surely will if they receive word that half of our defenses are out searching for a rebellious daughter."   
  
"I think you should cut the forces that are searching for her." A firm voice said from the doorway. The King and Queen looked up and saw their politically fascinated daughter, Carenna. Although they normally dismissed her ideas as too liberal, or too impractical, this one perked their ears.   
  
"Why do you say that, Carenna?" Nathaniel questioned. Carenna took this as an invitation to join the conversation, and she did so, sitting down in the chair next to her mother.   
  
"Currently, our city is being protected by less than half of the forces we have available to us. As you both noted earlier, the Scanran are hoping for war to be in the near future. If the Scanrans become impatient and do something drastic, Corus will be at their mercy. Zoe has been gone for three months, and has sent no word of changing her mind. She has either accomplished whatever she set out to, and is now content in a new life, or she is dead. Either way, it is doing Tortall no good to have seventy-five perfect of our armed forces scouring the land for a girl who does not wish to be found. If you half the forces you have searching now to approximately thirty-seven percent, Tortall we be protected by over half of our forces, but there will continue to be adequate forces searching for my sister." Carenna lectured her parents in an adult, but not condescending tone. Frankly, Nathaniel and Irena were surprised. Carenna was right. Nathaniel nodded slowly, placing his spectacles back on his face and scrawling out a few notes onto a piece of parchment.   
  
"That is a very wise idea, Carenna. I will most definitely take it into consideration. Thank you for your input." Carenna smirked, but hid it, and bowed to her parents, exiting the room as quickly as she had entered it. Irena shook her head,   
  
"She will never make a good wife." Nathaniel could not help but grin,   
  
"Aye, but she will make a wonderful ambassador." Irena laughed lightly and shook her head.   
  
"Write the papers, dear. Call back half the forces, and distribute the southern forces more to the north. Zoe hates the heat." Irena told her husband, and left him to work out the rest in peace.


	7. Crumbling

  
  
Zoe could not be happier with her life. She had now been living in Galla for six months. She held a steady job at the Snake's Lair, working sometimes at the front desk, and sometimes managing the finances for Mr.Kedar. Dante visited her often during work, and continued to dote on her as if she were some kind of a goddess. She had become close with Dante's parents and his little sister, as well as some of the other young people who worked at and around the Snake's Lair. There was not one other thing Zoe could wish to have in her life. No one had identified her as the still-missing Fifth Princess of Tortall. Another six months and she would be home free. After a year, she knew her parents would announce to the public that she had never been found and must be assumed deceased. They would hold an impressive memorial service for her, and the world would continue to spin. Zoe laughed to herself at these thoughts in her head, as she did the routine end of the month finances for Mr.Kedar. I wonder what they would think if I walked in on my own memorial service? She thought with a smirk on her face. Looking up at the clock, she realized that this particular daydream had lasted her an hour longer than she usually worked. Looking back to the books, she finished the finances and locked everything up. Zoe was no longer living in the small corner room in the Snake's Lair - only a few weeks ago she had purchased a quaint, homely apartment a few blocks away. It was late, almost 12am, and the February air was very cold. She bundled herself up in a cloak and scarf, and began the short walk home.   
  
Somewhere along the second block, a dark figure began to follow Zoe. She sensed it, and began to walk faster. The figure sped up as well. Zoe, panicking, broke out into a run. The dark figure ran, catching up with her easily. A rough hand went over her mouth, and something sharp and metallic was shoved into her side. Zoe gave a strangled cry as pain shot down her right leg, and red blossomed quickly and stained her light-coloured shirt. She fell to her knees, and the figure kicked her in the shoulder. With another cry, she fell hard onto the already injured side. The figure, now obviously a man, kicked her again, rolling her onto her back. Zoe whimpered, crying softly. The man fumbled for a moment, trying to expose her. Frustrated at not being able to do so, he jammed the heel of his boot into her stomach. Zoe gasped and retched, choking slightly. Digging through the pockets of her cloak, the man found her money purse and took off, leaving her lying on the street, only half concious and profusely bleeding.   
  
Zoe slipped in and out of coherent thought. Around 2am, heavily aided by a wall, she managed to get to her feet. Shuffling slowly, she inched her way back a block, to the Snake's Lair. Thankfully, the man had not found her keyring, and she let herself into the inn. Trying the stairs, her body protested and she tumbled down the few she had managed to ascend, hitting solidly against the main desk. Upstairs, Dante was awake and heard a dull thudding sound. Grabbing a dagger that glinted slightly in the moonlight, he headed down the steps silently. At the bottom of the stairs, propped up against the check-in desk, he spotted the figure.   
  
"Who are you?" He demanded fiercely. The figure whimpered slightly, and Dante's dagger clattered to the floor. "Iris.." He gasped, and flew down the steps. His arms were around her in a moment, propping her head up in the crook of his arm.   
  
"Iris..Iris..what happened?" He stroked her hair, looking panicked. Zoe whimpered again,   
  
"I was stabbed..it hurts..my side.." She gasped slightly, her breathing ragged. Dante gathered her up in his arms carefully, and took her to his parent's home.   
  
"My mother is a healer, she'll help you. Please, Iris, don't leave me.." He spoke to her rapidly and softly as they walked to the house. His parents admitted them into the house quickly, and Zoe was placed upon a bed in the guest room. Dante's mother stripped her down and examined her wounds. Karana requested a small list of herbs and balms, and set to healing. Thin lines of sweat trickled down her face and she concentrated, royal blue gift streaming from her fingertips and doing her bidding. She was alone in the room, having scooted the men out and locking the door. Dante paced in front of the door, while Mr.Kedar sat on a chair, fidgeting nervously.   
  
"She's my best worker, I could never stand to lose her.." Mr.Kedar murmured. Dante glared at his father,   
  
"You're best worker?! Papa, she's my girlfriend! I don't give a damn if she is your best worker!" Mr.Kedar grabbed his son's wrist.   
  
"Dante, you are upset. Sit down, *calm* down. It will not do you any good to yell at people." Ashlar Kedar stood up from his seat, and pushed his son into the chair. Dante sighed and held his head in his hands. There was silence between the two men for several minutes, before Mr.Kedar spoke up.   
  
"She's an interesting girl, you know." Dante snorted,   
  
"Of course I know, Papa."   
  
"But even on the outside, she is interesting. The hair on her arms is blonde, have you ever noticed? I have never met a girl with dark hair on her head, and light hair on her arms. It's strange. Heh." Ashlar patted his son's shoulder. "I am going into my office, Dante. Please call me if anything should happen." Dante sighed a ran a hand through his own dark hair. Thinking about what his father had said, he arbitrarily looked down at his own arms. The hair was dark.   
  
"Heh. I wonder if she dyes her hair.." He said to himself. He began to ponder why she would dye her hair, when Karana appeared at the doorway. There was blood on her dress and her hands. She was ghostly pale, and gripping the wall for support.   
  
"Mama.." Dante stood up and placed a strong arm around her, and Karana leaned against her son gratefully.   
  
"She's alright, Dante. She's sleeping, and probably will for the next day or so. Two ribs were broken - even with magick, they'll take about 4 weeks to heal. The stab wound did not seem to hit anything important, but it'll leave a scar. The rest was scratches and bruises." Karana looked up at her son. "Who would want to do this, Dante? Iris is a sweet girl." Dante sighed.   
  
"I don't know, Mama. I truly don't." Karana smiled slightly at her son.   
  
"Come now. Bring your mother to her bed and let me rest a while. You may sit with her, but do not disturb her, Dante, she needs her rest." Dante nodded, and after making sure his mother was resting fine in her bed, sat in with Zoe, holding her hand gently, a concerned look on his face.   
  
Zoe slept for a full day and a half. When she finally woke from her dreamless state, confusion swamped her brain. Where was she? What exactly had happened? Dante looked down at her.   
  
"Iris.. Iris, are you awake?" Zoe groaned and shook her head slowly, trying to clear the fog. It didn't work, and Zoe answered the first thing that came to her mind.   
  
"Iris? I'm Zoe.. Zoe of Conte.." She mumbled. Dante sat back.   
  
"What?"   
  
"I'm Zoe of Conte.." She mumbled again. It was only after Dante's eyes grew wide that Zoe realized she revealed her secret. She sat up, looking at him.   
  
"Oh, gods, Dante.." He took a slow, deliberate breath.   
  
"I-Is that true?" Zoe swallowed, and nodded slowly.   
  
"It is. My name is Zoe of Conte, I am the Fifth Royal Princess of Tortall. I ran away six months ago to Cria, adapting the alias of Iris Callasri. My hair is dyed."   
  
"And your eyes? Magicked?"   
  
"No, they're true." Dante's own pale eyes narrowed.   
  
"How am I supposed to believe what you say is true? Everything, our entire relationship these past six months, has been built on lies!" He stood up, his eyes full of fire.   
  
"No! Dante, that's not true! Iris or Zoe, I still love you, and you still love me, and everything we have is still true!"   
  
"I do not love you." He spat on the floor. Zoe stuttered.   
  
"Y-You don't?" She paused, feeling tears prick the corners of her eyes. She shook her head, forcing the pain down. "Fine! Go run to some random whore for all I care! I'll be better off without you!" Dante growled, and threw her tattered clothing at her.   
  
"I never want to see you again." He said, in a low, growling tone. Before Zoe could respond, Dante stalked out of the room, slamming the door to her room. Zoe curled up in the center of the bed, crying softly. She had screwed her entire life up. Dante would never speak to her again, nor would his family, she assumed. Zoe stayed in that position for a long time, crying, until she eventually cried herself to sleep.   
  
Dante was fuming. Back in his room, he punched the wall until it cracked and his knuckles bled. Wrapping his knuckles in cloth, he sat down on the bed. Why did every woman have to hurt him someone? His mind was drawn to his former girlfriend, Sylbie. Sylbie had been a sweet, loving woman. Or at least she was until Dante had found out she was a spy for the Gallan King, in charge of reporting the names of active assassins. He sighed, and ran a hand through his hair. He did love her.. but she had lied to him. Dante laid down on the bed, beginning to cry softly. He was confused of what his course of action should be. Wiping his eyes, Dante turned onto his side and blew out a candle, falling into a restless, dreamless sleep.


	8. Discovery and Rediscovery

  
  
It had been almost four full weeks since the incident at Dante's parent's home. She was still working for Mr.Kedar at the Snake's Lair, although he was considerably colder to her now. Karana was more understanding, and she and Zoe still visited with one another regularly. They never talked about Dante, although sometimes she wished they would. Zoe had not seen him since that day, and missed him desperately. She needed Dante, as much as she wished she could deny it. He made her feel beautiful, and special, and loved. Zoe needed that in her life, and Dante had been the first one to give it to her.   
  
Every Friday, Zoe worked the late shift at the inn, and was the one to close the place up. As she was walking out into the cold March night, she was greeted by another dark figure. This time, Zoe screamed, long and loud.   
  
"Iris! Goddess bless, stop screaming!" The figure told her. It was Dante.   
  
"Dante.." She whispered. She didn't know whether to hug him or to slap him. She did neither, only standing there, shivering slightly. He smiled slightly.   
  
"Iris. Zoe." He laughed, nervously. "I don't which I should call you." She ventured a small smile at him.   
  
"Call me either, I'll respond. They're both me." She said, making a reference to the point she had made when they were fighting in the guest bedroom, earlier that month. Dante sighed.   
  
"I know they're both you, Iris. I just wanted to..apologize. For reacting like that. I didn't give you a chance to explain." She nodded, slowly, looking down at the light sprinkling of snow that had fallen earlier.   
  
"I'm sorry too, Dante. I should have told you the truth earlier. We trusted each other, you had a right to know." Dante kicked at the ground, silent. "Well," Zoe told him, "I should be going. Goodnight." She turned and began to walk away. He jogged after her,   
  
"Iris, let me walk you home. Is that okay?" Mustering her courage, Zoe smiled up at him.   
  
"Yes, it's quite alright." He slung his arm around her shoulders, and she leaned against him. They walked slow.   
  
"Why did you run away?" He finally asked, after many moments of silence between them.   
  
"I needed to. My mother was planning to marry me off to some powerful merchant, he probably would have been 50 years old and slimy as anything. I was horribly bored, I needed adventure. So I ran away, and I acquired the identity Iris Callasri." Dante grinned shyly down at her.   
  
"Did you get what you ran away for? Adventure, I mean?" They approached her door, and she unlocked it, standing halfway in the doorway. She smiled at him.   
  
"Yes, I did. Goodnight, Dante." She turned to go, but once again, he caught her.   
  
"Iris?" She looked up at him,   
  
"Dante?"   
  
"I love you." That was all it took. Within moments they were in each other's arms, their lips meeting again and again. They broke only long enough to move into Zoe's apartment. The kissing progressed into the bedroom, and as they neared the bed, she reached for the hem of Dante's shirt. He pulled away, stroking her cheek gently.   
  
"Iris, are you sure? You're only 15.. We can wait." Zoe shook her head,   
  
"No, I'm sure. I love you too, Dante." That night, Dante and Zoe spent the night together in the same bed.


	9. Always and Forever

  
  
After only one short month, Zoe had sold the apartment she had been living in. She and Dante now shared a bed regularly. Zoe still worked at the Snake's Lair during the day. Life was back to normal. Starting at the beginning of May, Dante began to get called for assassination jobs.   
  
"Spring is the time for rebirth, for change. A lot of disliked figures are being presented with more power than others would want in Tusaine right now. They need me to be there." This was the first time Dante and Zoe would be apart since the fight. She hugged him tightly,   
  
"Don't get hurt, okay? The last thing I need is to have a gimp boyfriend." She grinned impishly at him. He laughed and ruffled her hair.   
  
"I promise, no getting hurt." With that, they kissed each other goodbye, and Dante set off for Tusaine. He'll only be gone three weeks, it won't be that bad. Zoe thought to herself.   
  
But Zoe's mental rationalizations did not hold. The bed was cold and lonely at night without Dante's sleeping frame next to her. The days were dreadfully boring and went by at a crawl. After the first week, she began to dine nightly with Dante's family, gaining some peace from being around Ashlar and Karana, and talking with Twilight. She loved Dante's family - they had basically accepted her into the family. When she ate with them, just like every other member, she was required to help make the food. It was over those three weeks that Zoe attained most of the recipes she began to cook on a regular basis. Three weeks finally passed, and late Saturday night, two strong arms enveloped Zoe, waking her from a sound sleep.   
  
"Dante!" She exclaimed, and hugged him tightly. He laughed and hugged her back, sitting down on the bed. He was dressed all in black, a combonation of light cloth and riding leather. The outfit was covered in a thin layer of dust.   
  
"Did you miss me?" He questioned, stroking her hair. He curled up in his lap, ignoring the streaks of brown that were dirtying her white sleeping gown.   
  
"Horribly. I spent most of my time with your family, when I wasn't working." He chuckled softly, kissing the top of her head. "You're not hurt, are you? Everything worked out fine?" Zoe asked, playing with his fingers and looking up into his dark eyes. Dante nodded,   
  
"Everything went perfectly. I have not a scratch on me." He kissed her swiftly. "And now, I want to bathe. I'm hot, dusty, and I smell like my horse." He told her, standing up and stripping down to his breeches. She smiled and settled back into the bed. Dante was back. Life was good.   
  
Through May and June, Dante was between home and Tusaine often, checking to make sure everything was running smoothly, and assuring those who had hired him that no one would be caught. Of course, no one would ever be caught. Dante had learned his fighting skills from traveling with Shang warriors for a better part of his adolescent years. He had enough skill to become a true Shang, but his mind was set on being an assassin. He wished to avenge his mother's past, something he rarely talked about. Even his own teacher, the Shang Hawk, never knew the secrets that kept him dead set on his career choice. No one other than Dante and his family knew his full past. The Shang Hawk knew he had been born in Carthak, although his mother was a Tyra native. Dante's father was a man involved in the goverment, and although he claimed to be in love with Karana, would not accept responsibility for his newborn child, and Karana and Dante were thrown out into the streets. The Shang Hawk did not know how they had eventually landed in Galla, or how Karana had married Ashlar, but he was happy for Dante.   
  
In the beginning of June, Dante was offered the job of a lifetime. His biological father, still in Carthak, was about to be given the job of Emperor's Advisor. The man was extremely conservative in his manner of thinking, and the people of Carthak were afraid this type of man would put Carthak's evolving economy into a serious downward spiral. The rogue and assassins of Carthak knew Dante and his work well, as well as his connection the this man, and politely offered Dante the job.   
  
"Iris?" He called. It was June 1st, although the air was suprisingly cool. Zoe giggled and joined Dante out on the porch. He still hadn't adjusted to calling her by her true name.   
  
"What's up, Dante?" She asked, expecting some kind of silly request. Her smile faded when Zoe saw how serious his face was set. "Oh, no.. where do you have to go?" She had read his mind.   
  
"Carthak." Dante told her simply, staring straight ahead at the darkening road. She didn't move either.   
  
"For how long?"   
  
"I don't know.. years.. maybe forever." Zoe gasped, tears beginning to run down her cheeks before she could truly digest the news.   
  
"I'll go with you." She told him firmly, wiping at her cheeks. For the first time during the conversation, Dante turned to look at her, and she saw tear lines down his face.   
  
"You can't, Iris. It's too dangerous.. I will be traveling all over the country.. you can't." He pinched the bridge of his nose, then moved the hand slowly through his hair. "I'm sorry." He told her gently. Zoe walked over, putting her arms around him tightly. He returned the embraced, pulling her into his lap.   
  
"I love you so much, Dante.." She said, her voice breaking. She began to sob into his chest. He held her tightly, kissing and stroking her hair, and murmuring soft words of comfort to her.   
  
"I love you too, Zoe." He finally told her, using her true name for the first time. When her sobs finally subsided, she looked up at him.   
  
"When do you leave?" She questioned, accepting Dante's fate with a grim look on her face.   
  
"In three days." He told her, his tone as grim as her face. His answer brought on a fresh drove of sobs that wracked her body and pulled heavily on his heart. He held her tightly until she calmed once again.   
  
During the last three days Zoe and Dante had together, they spent every single moment together, from the time they woke in the mornings, to the time they finally went to sleep, late at night. But three days flew by, as time always does when it is most precious. Dante was packed and ready to leave the third night, at dusk.   
  
"I'll ride through the night and most of tomorrow. I should reach the border by midday." He told her. Zoe could only nod. "My darling, I will come back. If I can't, I will send for you once things are safe. Okay?" She nodded again, tears starting to stream down her face. They held each other almost too tightly, their kisses full of desperation and the hidden knowledge that these kisses may very well be their last. Finally, Zoe let her arms slip from around him, and squeezed his hands.   
  
"If you die, you better write me a damn good explanation why." He laughed, although it was strained, almost forced. Dabbing away her tears, he kissed her again.   
  
"I love you, Zoe of Conte. For always and forever." She stole one last swift kiss from him, and allowed him to mount, although she still gripped his hand tightly.   
  
"I love you too, Dante Kedar. For always and forever." Then, with a forced smile on her face, she watched the always dark and mysterious love of her life ride off into the dimming, early summer light. Zoe collapsed onto the ground and cried for a long, long time.


	10. A New Arrival

  
  
For the first two weeks after Dante left, Zoe rode aimlessly around Cria, camping by Bogolt Lake for the better part of it. She needed time to herself right now. Being around Dante's family only made things more painful. She would have spent more time in the wilderness, except that she realized an awful fact during the second week. She had not been getting her menstrual cycle for the past two months. A trip to a healer confirmed what Zoe had dreaded. She was approximately a month and a half pregnant, with Dante's child. Not knowing where else to turn, she went to Karana. She rapped on the door urgently that afternoon, an unrational panic filling her.   
  
"Unless this is the Black God himself, I am going to kill whoever is pounding on my door!" Zoe heard Karana holler, and she withdrew her shaking hand. The door opened, and Karana's face softened completely.   
  
"Zoe..Zoe..come in, my darling. What's wrong?" She asked, noticing the lack of colour in the younger woman's face and her shaking hands.   
  
"Karana.. oh, gods, Karana.. I'm pregnant. With your son's child." She said in a trembling voice. The news was met by a strong, motherly hug.   
  
"Oh, my darling.. it will be okay." She rocked her gently. When she opened her arms, Zoe went and sat down on the couch, wringing her hands.   
  
"What am I going to do, Karana? I'm pregnant.. I'm not even 16 yet.. Dante's gone. I can't raise a child on my own, I'm still a child myself. I don't know anything about being a mother. I can't *do* this!" Her voice rose to a shrieking pitch, and then cracked as she began to sob. Karana sat down next to her son's lover, putting a strong arm around her shoulders and pulling Zoe close again.   
  
"I will help you, our entire family will. I will help you find a sufficient place to live, and teach you how to be a mother. It will work out, my darling. It will." Karana said firmly, stroking Zoe's hair. Zoe turned and cried into Karana's shoulder.   
  
"W-Will you really help me? I'm not going to have to face this alone?" She asked finally, looking up at Dante's mother with reddened eyes. Karana patted her cheek gently.   
  
"I promise, I will be by your side every step of the way." Zoe smiled her first true smile in weeks, and embraced Karana tightly.   
  
"Thank you."   
  
Karana kept her promise. Over the next nine months, she helped Zoe find another apartment, nicer than her last one, and closer to the Kedar household. The entire Kedar family helped Zoe decorate it in light, airy colors and clothes. Together, Karana and Zoe created a nursery stocked with everything the child would need for the first few years of her life. Zoe's pregnancy was an easy one. Karana made sure she got the right foods in the right amounts, and the fact she was also young and generally healthy helped greatly. She decided to name the child Dante Ashlar if it were a boy, and Salem Karana if it was a girl. The family approved strongly of both choices.   
  
There was not a single day that went by that Zoe did not think of Dante. She wished desperately to one night see his steed come galloping back up the road, him looking as dark and mysterious and beautiful as ever. Or that he would send for her, telling her about his incredible bravery and skill that had brought peace to Carthak City. But nothing came, and eventually Zoe drifted into accepting life without him.   
  
Then, on one particularly bitter January evening exactly three months after Zoe's 16th birthday, while Karana and Zoe were having tea after dinner, Zoe felt a small pain.   
  
"Ow.." She said curiously, looking down and placing a hand over her bulging abdomen. Karana raised an eyebrow.   
  
"Is something wrong?" She questioned, but Zoe shook her head.   
  
"No, I think the baby just kicked..really hard." She replied with a laugh. A few minutes passed, when she experienced another pain. Another couple minutes after that one came another, this one slightly stronger than the other two. "I think," she said to Karana after the third pain, "that I'm going into labour."   
  
That single sentence set the entire family into action. Ashlar helped Zoe into the birthing room. Karana sent Esperanza to fetch a healer, while she collected towels and boiled water. The healer came quickly and ushered everyone out of the room. For the next eight hours, Karana stood outside the door with her arms crossed. Her fingers tapped against her arm nervously. Ashlar paced slightly, stopping every so often to put his ear to the door and listen. Esperanza stayed with her parents until almost 1am, when sleep overtook her and she went to bed, demanding she be woken up when the baby was born. At 3:04am, on January 20th, in the year 657, Zoe of Conte gave birth to her first child. It was a healthy baby girl with dark hair and pale eyes, whom she named Salem Karana. Zoe held the red-faced baby close, her natural mothering instincts taking over, while Karana fussed over the condition of her blankets, and if she was too hot or cold. Zoe could only smile, and say in a distracted tone.   
  
"I'm absolutely perfect, Karana. We both are." Ashlar grinned and allowed Salem to suckle his finger until Zoe realized that was a sign of hunger and began to breastfeed her.   
  
"What is her name?" Karana asked softly, a broad smile on her face.   
  
"Salem Karana.. Zoesri.." She said, the surname coming in a softer tone than the beginning.   
  
"Nonsense." Karana said firmly, making Zoe look up, confused.   
  
"Nonsense? You don't approve of her name?" Karana laughed, ruffling Zoe's hair.   
  
"No, my darling, it's a beautiful name! My comment was directed to her surname. She is a Kedar. Salem Karana Kedar shall be her name." Zoe reported this to the healer, and then grinned down at her baby.   
  
"Hello, Salem Karana Kedar. Welcome to the world." Salem gurgled slightly and closed her eyes, content to sleep.


	11. Ashes to Ashes

  
  
Although at the moment, Zoe couldn't be happier, the same could not be said for her parents. It had been 2 years since she had run away from her simple life in Tortall. Nathaniel and Irena didn't know what to do. The public was getting incredibly anxious, wanting some closure in the case of the missing princess. There was only one plausible option left for the monarchs of Tortall to take. A royal decree was released. It read,   
  
"Citizens of Tortall. For the past two years, a intense search has been conducted for the Fifth Princess of our realm, Zoe Annette of Conte. Although our best efforts were put forth, they were not fruitful. We are afraid we have no other choice than to come to the conclusion that sometime over the past two years, our daughter, the royal Fifth Princess of the Tortallan Realm, has passed away. A memorial service will be held in the Palace Chapel, for those who wish to attend." While the city wept for the supposed loss of a princess, she slept peacefully in Cria, her newborn baby in a bassinet by her bed.   
  
~*~   
  
  
  
For Zoe, the first few weeks of motherhood were the hardest. She was forced to adjust to Salem's schedule, which included feedings almost every 3 hours. Until she got the hang of things, Karana and Ashlar allowed her to stay in the guest bedroom in their house. When Zoe thought she would collapse if she didn't get a break, Esperanza would come and entertain Salem for a couple hours, allowing Zoe to get some much needed sleep. Shortly after Salem turned one month old, Zoe and she moved back to the apartment she and Karana had fixed up.   
  
Zoe and Salem's first year together flew by. Salem was a generally happy baby, most likely because now whever Zoe went, Salem did too. Mr.Kedar was more than happy to allow Salem at work. When Zoe was busy, Mr.Kedar played games like Peak-a-boo and "Got Your Nose!" with her. Salem's black, fluffed hair began to even out and thicken, her pale eyes darkening strangely to a deep brown. They were often as wide as saucers, trying to examine as much of the still-strange world she was now a part of.   
  
Salem screamed at the top of her tiny lungs. Her mouth hurt. Being barely 10 months old, the infant had no idea why, but assumed that like everything else, her mother would fix it if she screamed. For the third time that night, Zoe drug herself out of a warm bed and a sound sleep, and began to rock her teething daughter gently.   
  
"Shh..it's okay Saylee.. I know it hurts, baby." She kissed her screaming child's reddening forehead. Heading into another room, she grabbed one of bits of cloth she kept frozen for when her teething became unbearable for both mother and child. The cold, dripping rag in her hands and her mouth, Salem began to quiet as the cold dulled the ache in her gums. Zoe smiled and sat back down on the bed, watching her dark featured daughter continue to suck on the frozen cloth as her eyelids started to droop. Karana, who had taught her about freezing the clothes, always told her to add a few drops of certain herbs to the water that would aid with a peaceful and quick sleep. Zoe herself used them on a regular basis while she was pregnant was Salem, so she knew they were safe. During the last trimester, Salem had become fidgety, almost seeming eager to be born, and she had taken up a habit of kicking practically around the clock. It was then that Zoe helped sleep overcome her with the herbs, and it was now that she used the same herbs to help her daughter. Aiding by a gentle rocking, Salem was soon fast asleep, the now dull ache in her mouth forgotten about for hopefully the remainder of the night. Zoe placed Salem in a bassinet she had set up next to her bed for rougher nights like these, and curled back up in her own bed, falling asleep quickly.   
  
Karana was just as fascinated with her first grandchild as Salem was with the large new world she was only beginning to experience. Karana insisted Zoe dined with the Kedar family almost every night, eager to play with a small baby again.  
  
  
  
"Come on, Saylee, walk over to Karana..you can do it!" Zoe urged her 11 month old daughter. Salem stood a few feet in front of her, wobbling slightly on her small, unsure legs. She tilted back, looking as though she was about to take a step towards Karana, who was kneeling a few feet in front of her grandaughter. Salem continued to tilt backwards, and Zoe held out her arms, and her daughter toppled backwards into them. Laughing, she scooped up the growing infant and kissed Salem on her nose. Salem giggled and reached for her mother, balling and releasing her fists rapidly. Zoe smiled, knowing what that meant, and gave her a tight hug.   
  
"I love you too, Salem." She said with a smile. Patting her behind, she placed her back on the floor gently. Salem stood up slowly, her movements full of purpose. As she began to tilt back, she remembered her previous experiment, and stopped sooner this time. Jutting one leg out into the air slightly, Salem let herself fall foward, and found herself still standing. Proud of her feat, Salem repeated it, propelling herself further foward. Although her feet were unsure and her legs wobbled and bowed, Salem found she throughly enjoyed what she was doing, and continued to do it until she was taken into her grandmother's arms and showered with kisses and words of praises.   
  
"She did it, Karana! Salem is walking!" Zoe exclaimed, and went to kneel next to her daughter and Karana. Salem was alternated between her mother and her grandmother's hugs, kisses, and positive words for many minutes until both women had calmed down. Salem squealed and giggled, clapping her hands and returning the hugs one by one. She knew she had done something very good.   
  
After that day, Salem wanted to walk absolutely everywhere. There were hours when Zoe just followed her daughter around the apartment, watching her begin to assure her movements and investigate objects that were originally too much of a hassle to inspect. But now Salem had gained some sort of magical power. She could do as the adults did, propelling herself on her very own two legs. The great boost of pride gave the normally shy and quiet child a flamboyant, almost actress-like streak in her personality. The following month was Salem's first birthday.   
  
"Surprise!" The Kedars yelled as Zoe and Salem walked into the living room. Salem shrieked and jumped up and down, babbling quickly in her own secret language. Zoe gasped and broke out into laughter.   
  
"Karana, Ashlar, thank you!" She exclaimed, looking around. The entire house was throughly decorated in Salem's favourite colours, purple and silver. A large feast sat steaming on the dining room table, and Zoe thought she could smell a cake just starting to brown in the oven. She grinned broadly, her happiness growing even more as she watched Salem play a game with Esperanza, giggling and obviously having a wonderful time. She hugged Karana and Ashlar tightly.   
  
"Thank you so much. This means so much so me.." She said, sniffling slightly. Karana smiled warmly and patted her cheek.   
  
"You are like my very own daughter. I would not have wanted any less for you. Now come. Dinner is waiting." The family headed into the dining room for a birthday feast grand enough for a 10 year old. After dinner and desert, which including a large, purple-iced cake and vanilla ice cream, Salem recieved her presents. From Ashlar, there was a large set of hand made, hand painted blocks. Karana had bought and sewn several beautiful and practical outfits, and Esperanza had bought Salem a doll, which she held protectively. Zoe herself gone all out, lavishing clothing, toys and other various presents upon her daughter. To Salem, it was better than Midwinter, where she had only recieved a bunch of blankets and a few stuffed things. They went home with their arms full of the loot, both smiling brightly.   
  
Later that night, many hours after Salem had fallen asleep, still clutching her new doll, Zoe found herself laying wide awake in bed, sobbing. It was the times of the most joy in her life that she found herself missing Dante the most. It had been 21 months, almost two full years, since the love of her life had ridden off to Carthak to avenge his mother's past, something Zoe still knew nothing about, other than it had not been pleasant. For the longest time, Zoe held fast to the hope that he would come back, or send for her, although neither had happened. Over the two years, her grip had slowly begun to slip, her fingers being pried off by reality. Now, hope was only a small twinkle in the very back of her subconcious. The only thing she could think was that Dante had been killed. The only hope she knew of was that he had died an honorable death. There will no prince on a white horse for me. She thought bitterly. Her prince had rode away on a black one, promising things he could have never possibly have kept. That night, while she watched the full moon shine into her room and across the floorboards, Zoe made a silent vow to forget Dante. She had Salem to raise, her life to live. Dante was the past, and she needed only to look to the future. With that, her mental image of Dante's dark handsome face, surrounding in an almost tangible air of mystery drifted from her mind, was turned to ash by the moonlight and swept away by the bitter January air.


	12. New Friends and a Blast from the Past

  
  
Zoe's silent vow seemed to lift some kind of a hidden burden of the 17 year old's shoulders. She began to take Salem more places, venturing past the Kedar's house and the Snake's Lair. Zoe found children around Salem's age in the parks as the snow melted and winter began to evolve into spring. Zoe herself made friends with the parents, finding many of them were close to her in age. Although her visits to Karana and Ashlar were still very important to her, they were now for fun and rarely for guidance. Karana grinned from ear to ear as she watched the maturing mother-daughter pair together. She was very proud of Zoe, and her granddaughter simply had her wrapped around her chubby little finger. Salem's favourite place became the park. They took walks in the evenings, watching the various animals. Zoe taught her daughter about all the different animals in the park, and how they were families, just like they were. Salem never asked about her own father.   
  
"Maooo!" Salem explained one evening in April. The weather was becoming warm again, and dusk was longer and longer each night. Zoe smiled, stroking her daughter's hair.   
  
"That's right, Saylee, the moon is out tonight. And the sky is full of stars. See how brightly they shine? It's just like litle bits of magic twinkling up there." Salem smiled and bent her neck back, staring up at the sky with wide eyes and a half-open mouth.   
  
"Moooo.." She gurgled, looking back at her mother.   
  
"Where's the moon, Sayl? Point it out to me." Salem pointed a small, deliberate finger at the moon and said quite clearly,   
  
"Moon." Zoe gasped,   
  
"Your first word.." Before she had time to congratulate her daughter for maturing to a new stage in her life, Salem turned on Zoe's lap to look straight at her. Placing her hands over Zoe's eyes delicately, she spoke again.   
  
"Eyes." Zoe giggled and took Salem's hands into her own, kissing them.   
  
"That's right, Saylee!" Salem grinned and pointed back up at the moon again.   
  
"Moon!" Her head swung back to stare at her mother. "Eyes.." She said in a softer, more knowing tone. Zoe giggled, and Salem joined in. Sitting back against her mother, she began to repeat the words, beating out a rhythm to it on the sides of Zoe's legs.   
  
"Moon, eyes, moon, eyes, moon, eyes, mooneyes.." She giggled madly. Zoe grinned from ear to ear, watching her daughter discover the beauty of language for the first time.   
  
"Your first word, Salem! Do you know what this calls for?" Salem's eyes widened and she shook her head, staring at her mother in wonder. Zoe grinned. "It means it's time for a special trip! How does a doll and an ice cream sound for tomorrow?" Saylee clapped her hands and hugged her mother, obviously happy with the decision.   
  
This summer was already Zoe's third in Galla. It went by the fastest of them all. Zoe didn't know if it had to do with how fast Salem seemed to be growing up, or something completely different. By June, only 2 months after she had said her first word, she had mastered a 25 word vocabulary. This doubled by mid July, and again by the end of August. As the leaves starting to fall again in Cria, Salem was able to point to each one and not only identify them as a leaf, but also by their colour, and even in some cases, the tree they had fallen from. Her vocabulary was now a full one hundred twenty words, give or take a few prepositions.   
  
"Orange leaf." Salem told her mother, pointing at a large one on the ground. Zoe grinned,   
  
"Yes, an orange leaf. That's from a maple tree."   
  
"Maple tree." Her daughter repeated quickly. Zoe sighed contentedly, tossing her faded hair her behind her shoulders, allowing the still warm wind to blow through it. It was nearing the 20th of September. In a little more than a month, Zoe would celebrate her 18th birthday. This on her mind, after she fed and bathed Salem, she sat down in front of her mirror, truly looking at herself for the first time in years. The dye in her hair had slowly faded over the past four years, her hair was now a honey brown. Her face was slightly rounder, softened by childbirth and motherhood. Her pale moon eyes, which one held a dangerous flare of cynicism and wit now sparkled subtly, suggesting wisdom and a well-nurtured spirit. Zoe smiled, pleasantly surprised with how she had matured. Standing up, she walked into the nursery next door, where Salem was playing with her favourite doll, Zazi. It was the doll Esperanza had given her on her first birthday, almost a full year ago now. When she first began to talk, Esperanza's name had been too hard for her to pronounce, and so she had became Zazi, as did the doll. Zoe kneeled down next to her daughter.   
  
"Hey Saylee.." She said gently, smiling. Salem looked up and smiled back.   
  
"Hi Mama." Zoe lowered herself into a sitting position.   
  
"How's Zazi doing today?" Her daughter grinned.   
  
"Real good, Mama."   
  
"Have you and her been playing all day again?" Zoe questioned with a grin, genuinely interested in what Salem had to say. She nodded.   
  
"Yup."   
  
"Hmm.." Zoe's daughter looked up when she made that curious sound, her dark eyes wide.   
  
"Whats it?" She laughed,   
  
"Nothing, sweetie. I was just thinking that Zazi must be awfully tired, if you two have been playing all day. Do you think she might want to go to sleep for the night?" Salem giggled,   
  
"Soon. No now, Mama? Pwease?" Zoe smiled, and kissed the top of her daughter's head.   
  
"Okay. I'm going to get ready for bed myself, and once I'm finished, you can climb into bed with me, and I'll tell you a really great bedtime story. How's that sound to you and Zazi?" Salem smiled, reaching up and kissing her mother.   
  
"Real good, Mama." Zoe grinned and stood up, ruffling her daughter's hair.   
  
"I'll be back for you two later." She told them, and left them be while she readied herself for bed.   
  
The golden leaves of September did not last long. They quickly shriveled and turned brown, crunching under people's feet as their steps quickened, for the October winds were cool and nipped at the more tender parts of the body. Salem and her playmates now met at each other houses. At first it was nice for Zoe, having Salem gone for a few hours practically every day. It gave her time to herself, allowed her to read, bathe, or spend some time alone with Karana. The time made things easier to deal when all of Salem's friends met at her own apartment, she was more prepared with things to entertain and feed them. At least, it was nice for the first few weeks. However, by mid November, she realized just how used she had grown to constantly having Salem by her side. Now their only time was in the evenings, when she bathed her and got her ready for bed. Almost every morning she was waking up only to fed her daughter breakfast and walk with her to someone's house, and then to spend the day alone. Not knowing what else to do with her time, Zoe began to spend her days doing early shopping for Midwinter. She needed a good deal of gifts, for Salem of course, but also Karana and her family, and all of Salem's friends. By the first week of December, she had bought an ample amount of gifts for almost everyone, and only had a few things left to pick up for Salem. She, of course, got the most gifts.   
  
Walking through the streets of Cria, Zoe stopped inside a shop she normally didn't. It always smelled heavily of strange incense and made her cough. Today, however, she was greeted with the refreshing scent of pine. In honor of Midwinter, she was sure. Zoe browsed through the aisles, picking up a few various things for Salem and others. She paid for her things and decided to continue onto other stores. Feeling around for her money purse, she found it gone as she started to depart from the store. Stopping in the entranceway, she began to search frantically through her bag, not noticing when a young gentleman came rushing through the door until he plowed right into her.   
  
Zoe yelped, toppling backwards, the contents of her bad spilling throughout the front of the store. The culprit gasped.   
  
"I'm so sorry, miss! Oh, geez, I didn't mean to do that! Here, let me pick these things up.." He sputtered quickly, bending over and collecting the things that had spilled. Among them was her money purse, she noted with relief. He piled the contents haphazardly into her arms, grinning nervously. Zoe looked up into the man's face, and was slightly taken aback. He was very handsome, in a childish sort of way. His light brown hair was cut in a somewhat grown-out, shaggy version of a pageboy cut. His featured were well defined, and slightly weathered, looking as though he spent much of his time outside, nice weather or not. Even through his nervousness and embarrasment, his light green eyes sparkled playfully. His face made her grin, despite her original annoyance with him. He stood up, and offered his hand to Zoe, which she accepted. With surprising grace, he hoisted her up and handed the now-filled bag back to her.   
  
"Once again, I'm sorry. Truly, I am." She couldn't help but laugh. There was something about this man, although he looked like he couldn't be older than 22.   
  
"It's okay, stop apologizing." She smiled at him. "My name's Zoe Kedar." She said, offering her hand. He shook it, not firmly, but his grip was soft, almost tender.   
  
"I'm Forrest McGregor. A pleasure to meet you, Zoe." He opened the door for her as she walked out, following her quickly. She giggled,   
  
"Did you not have something to buy in there?" His slighty bushy eyebrows knitted together.   
  
"Buy? Oh! Oh, no, I can always get it another time." He waved his hand in a dismissive motion. "Not important. Mind if I walk with you?" She grinned.   
  
"Not at all, Forrest. So," she began, not allowing her any awkward silences in the conversation, "Are you a true Gallan? Or were you born in another country, like I was?" He ignored her question, wanting to asking his own. This girl was certainly intriguing. She could not be more than 19 or 20, although she held an aire around herself that could intimidate a king. Well, maybe not a king. But certainly a duke! Forrest thought to himself.   
  
"You're not Gallan? Where were you born? What brought you to Galla? Does the cold weather bother you?" She grinned, and began to kick her feet up higher as she walked, thrusting some of the fresher snow into the air, letting it swirl around their ankles.   
  
"I'm a pure blooded Tortallan. A need for adventure brought me to Galla," she told him, and added with a laugh, "And no, the cold weather doesn't particularly bother me." He grinned.   
  
"I was born and raised here. I've always loved the cold weather, especially near Midwinter. Everything is white, and pure looking.. have you ever scaled any of the mountains during the winters here?" Zoe shook her head. "Oh, the site are absolutely breathtaking! I would paint them, if I knew how to safely bring a canvas and paints with me. She smiled, watching him talk. He seemed so passionate. Zoe had taken an instant liking to this man.   
  
Forrest continued to go on and on about the beauty of the country during the winter, everything from how the tree limps bent gracefully under the weight of a new, wet snow to his theories on winter being the season the Gods used to let us experience what their realm was like. When he finally allowed there to be silence between them, she looked up at him and grinned.   
  
"This is all rather fascinating. Would you like to continue to talk about it with me over dinner?"   
  
"Dinner?" His voice nearly cracked, which drew a child-like giggle from Zoe. He grinned crookedly.   
  
"Dinner would be wonderful. I know this great little place-"   
  
"Actually, I would have to cook. At my home." He tilted his head to one side, looking at her.   
  
"Why? I mean, that'd be wonderful, I haven't had a home-cooked meal in the longest time - but I'm curious, nonetheless." Zoe smiled, reaching her apartment.   
  
"My daughter, you see. She's barely 2 years old, and hasn't exactly developed a real taste for restaurants yet."   
  
"You have a daughter?" Forrest asked, his eyes wide. Zoe nodded. For a moment she thought he was going to assault her with questions of affairs and criticism about unwed mothers, but all he did was grin broadly after a few moments.   
  
"That's wonderful. What's her name?" She let them both into her apartment.   
  
"Her name is Salem. Salem Karana Kedar." Forrest let out a low whistle. "What?" She demanded, grinning.   
  
"That's a very impressive name. Very strong, very beautiful." He grinned. "I'd never said anything bad about a child." Zoe opened her mouth to reply, but at that moment, another knock sounded.   
  
"Speaking of children, I think mine is home." She answered the door, and sure enough, there was Salem, holding the hand of her friend's mother. Zoe and her chatted for a few moments before Salem said thank you, and they waved goodbye.   
  
"Saylee, I've got friend here I want you to meet." Salem grinned.   
  
"My friend?" Zoe laughed,   
  
"Maybe, honey." Walking into the kitchen, she found Forrest making a feeble attempt at starting a pasta dinner. She giggled. "Salem, this a friend of mine. His name is Forrest McGregor." Zoe put Salem down, who promptly walked up to Forrest and stuck out her hand for him to shake.   
  
"Hi. I's Salem." Forrest laughed, and shook her hand delicately.   
  
"It's a pleasure to meet you, Salem. As your mommy said, my name's Forrest."   
  
With the introductions over, Zoe finished preparing dinner while Forrest and Salem had something reminiscent of a conversation at the table. The conversation continued into dinner, and Zoe joined in, throughly enjoying herself. After dinner, she took Salem and got her ready for bed, bathing her and tucking her into bed. While Zoe cared for her daughter, Forrest cleaned up from dinner. She was pleasantly surprised when she finally walked back out into the main part of the apartment, partially because dinner was cleared, and partially because Forrest was still there, sitting on the couch. He grinned as she sat down her to him.   
  
"Hello." She smiled back at him.   
  
"Hi. Thanks for cleaning up dinner, you didn't have to." Forrest smiled at her.   
  
"I wanted to. You already have so much to do, I figured you wouldn't mind." She grinned, and then yawned, covering her mouth politely. He grinned. "You look worn out. Here, lie down.." Forrest told her. Yawning again, Zoe obeyed, resting her head in his lap. She smiled and closed her eyes as he began to stroke her hair gently. Forrest smiled down at the girl. She was very beautiful, he thought to himself. Her hair was a shade in between honey brown and light brown, which accented her pale eyes wonderfully. Her figure, although softened by childbirth, was still gorgeous, and he truly loved her personality.   
  
"Zoe?" He said finally. She opened an eye to look up at him, slowly.   
  
"Hm?"   
  
"Would you like to go out to dinner sometime? You could bring Salem along, if you wanted.." Zoe blinked, and opened both her eyes. If she accepted, this would be her first date over 2 years. Also, she knew she felt something for Forrest. It was certainly not the burning passion that she once held in her heart for Dante, but there was something. After watching his tensed face for a moment, she smiled and kissed his cheek.   
  
"I'd love to." Forrest grinned, and let out a long held breath.   
  
"Would this Friday be okay? I know it's close to the Midwinter Celebrations, being that they start on Monday and all, you don't have to accept-"   
  
"Friday would be lovely." She told Forrest, interrupting his rambling. He grinned.   
  
"Okay. I'll come by around 8." She nodded, and then snuggled her head back into his lap, dozing off to sleep quickly. When Zoe woke that morning, she was still laying on the couch, a pillow under her head and a blanket pulled over her. She grinned and got up, going to see if Salem was up yet.   
  
Zoe and Forrest's first date went wonderfully. He took her to a small Scanran restaurant, her favourite type of food. They conversed and flirted with each other easily, almost like they had known each other for their entire lives. Zoe had a wonderful time, easily one of the best times she had had around people other than family in a very long time. She agreed to another date, to a commoner's ball being held during the Midwinter celebrations, and he promised her a large surprise that Monday morning.   
  
Over the weekend, Salem and Zoe spent the days wrapping presents for the Kedars and Salem's playmates. Zoe couldn't help but wonder what Forrest's surprise was going to be. Her mind jumped from one unoriginal gift to the next - flowers, jewelry, fine food, but she doubted he was the type to give such traditional presents. Zoe tucked Salem into her crib on Sunday evening, and fell asleep while reading on the couch.   
  
That morning, she was awakened by a cold draft flowing through the room. Opening her eyes, she shivered and looked around. Her door was open. Zoe stood up quickly, looking around the living, dining and kitchen area. There was no side of stolen objects, or any sort of ransacking. She breathed relief for a moment, until another thought struck her. Salem. She ran frantically down the small hallway and burst into Salem's room.   
  
The scene that followed was one in which Zoe couldn't decide whether she wanted to brutally attack Forrest with knives, or laugh joyfully and give him a large hug. Salem was alright. In fact, she was more than alright. She was currently playing with the new toys Forrest had given her on her brand new bed. Her first bed, actually.   
  
"What in the-" Zoe started. Forrest grinned and stood up.   
  
"Surprise." He told her, and kissed her gently. Nonplussed and unsure, Zoe kissed back tentatively. The kiss was short, almost platonic, but nice enough. Forrest was still grinning from ear to ear when he pulled away. "I knew that it was almost time for Saylee to get her first bed, so I figured that I could save you some trouble." Zoe balked.   
  
"I don't believe you! You.. You leave my door open, and expect me to hug you!? I thought I had been robbed! I-I thought Salem had been taken!" Forrest stuttered for a moment, and then hugged Zoe.   
  
"Calm down, Zoe. I'm sorry I left the door open.. I must have forgot. But, please, calm down.." She sighed and leaned against Forrest for a few minutes, composing herself. Finally, she smiled up at him and kissed his chin.   
  
"Thank you for the bed, Forrest. I'm sure she'll love it." He grinned. She turned and hoisted her an almost two year old Salem up into her arms. "Now, Saylee, let's go open presents!" Salem squealed, and they all headed out to the living room. Midwinter passed, and it was one of the best ones Zoe had had during her time in Cria. From Forrest she recieved a beautiful, intricately quilt. The scene depicted a forest in deep, lush colours. Flitting around the forests were tiny sprites, brightly coloured and sparkling with silver magic. Also present were more mundane animals, squirrels and chipmunks, as well as a wolf cub. The Kedars bestowed three gorgeous new oufits upon Zoe, complete with small accessories like jewelry, and in colours that accented her natural beauty wonderfully. Salem recieved many new toys and clothes from Zoe, Forrest and the Kedars as well. The new year, 659, came quickly. Salem turned two, and was showered with even more gifts by her friends and family. Zoe and Forrest continued to spend a lot of time together, although Zoe wasn't sure what to call their relationship. There was some sort of chemistry between them, but for Zoe, at least, it was almost all platonic. She didn't know what Forrest was thinking, but she hoped it was the same thing.   
  
Zoe supposed that Forrest's relationship was some sort of therapy for her. It should have made her happier and more fulfilled to have people who cared for her outside of Salem and the Kedars. But it didn't. Spending more time away from the Kedars only seemed to increase her need to be with them. Or if not them, some sort of family. Zoe couldn't understand it. The entire reason she had left her home in the first place was because of her family, and now she found herself desperately reaching out for one to cling to.   
  
This was the realization Zoe was having as she sat silently at a table with Forrest on the porch of the Snake's Lair.   
  
"I need to go home." She said, her voice full of determination, and stood up. Forrest blinked, and almost choked on the piece of cake he had been chewing slowly. He stood up as well.   
  
"What? What's wrong?" Zoe began to gather her things, putting on her coat.   
  
"I need to go home. To Tortall. I'm sorry, Forrest."   
  
"Tortall?" His eyes widened.   
  
"Yes, Tortall. I need to see my family again. I miss them horribly, Forrest. I know this is sudden, but just.. just let me do this. I need to go home. For a long time." With that, she began to walk home quickly. Forrest followed.   
  
"Zoe.. Zoe, I don't know what to say. I don't want you to go, but I'm not going to try to force you to stay." She let herself up into her apartment. "Will you write me?" He asked feebly.   
  
"Oh.. of course..of course I'll write.." She said distractedly, beginning to pack her clothes into a large sack. Forrest sighed, realizing she was barely even listening to him.   
  
"I'll go pack up Salem's room." He told her, and left to do so. Zoe didn't even notice him leave.   
  
The evening, Zoe had finished packing everything she felt she needed to take. This included 3 large sacks of clothing, and another 4 sacks full of trinkets and objects that were special to her, including Salem's bed, taken apart and each piece carefully packed away, and the quilt Forrest had given her. Salem didn't truly understand what was going on, but the idea of suddenly becoming a princess was more than enough to convince her to agree to the idea of a life in Tortall. Finally, after Salem had been put to bed in Zoe's bed, Zoe sat down heavily on the couch, exhausted. Forrest looked at her tepidly,   
  
"Zoe?" She glanced at him. The look in his eyes caused her, for the first time, to comprehend what her actions truly were. She looked back at him.   
  
"Forrest?" She replied, trying to keep her tone light. He managed a small smile in response.   
  
"You really will write? I don't want you running of and just completely forgetting about me.." She smiled and moved close to him, placing her arms around his hips and her head on his chest.   
  
"I'll write. I promise. It'll be one of the first things I do in Corus." He stroked her hair, grinning.   
  
"Okay. Maybe I'll come visit you." Zoe smiled, and said softly,   
  
"I'd like that." The next half hour, the two sat in silence, each pondering their own reactions and feelings about her decision. The 19 year old, light brown haired, pale eyed girl thought about the twining threads of excitement and absolute fear that were slowly creeping through her entire body. The 23 year old, shaggy haired man was still slightly nonplussed and unsure about what exactly to think of the decision, but forced himeslf to accept it and be content. Finally, one spoke.   
  
"What were we, Zoe?" Zoe looked up at him.   
  
"What?" She asked innocently.   
  
"What were we? Were we friends.. were we more?" He questioned. His words had a desperate, reaching aura about them, despite the innocent tone they were delivered in.   
  
"We were.. " She started, and trailed off, making sure her phrasing was correct. "We were something in between. Sort of like a platonic girlfriend and boyfriend, if that makes any sense." She laughed. "It probably doesn't, but that's what I think." A dawning of true contentment and relief spread over the slightly older man's face.   
  
"It makes perfect sense." He said with a grin. He kissed the top of her head.   
  
"Have fun in Corus." Zoe grinned wryly,  
  
  
  
"Oh, I'm sure I will." Those were the last words Forrest and Zoe said to each other that late evening. Zoe, shortly after, fell asleep on his chest. Forrest used the opportunity to carefully make her comfortable on the couch, and leave. Zoe and Forrest never said goodbye, because there was no reason to. She would write, he would visit. Life would go on.


	13. Home At Last

  
  
Zoe left early that morning, retracing the steps she had taken to Cria almost a full four years ago. She had explained everything to the Kedars in a lengthy letter, which she left taped to their door. She rode at a slower pace than her original one, partially because she was now carrying over three times the luggage she had brought with her, and partially because she had no pressing need to arrive. Tortall would not be disappearing from existence any time soon. After 8 long days of traveling, she arrived in Goldenlake, and just as she had done the first time, she checked herself into the Bird's Nest. She noted with amusement that the pimpled, lanky stableboy Harrison was still working there, although he was now the co-owner, and fairly handsome and well built. She grinned, sitting down on the bed with Salem.   
  
"So much changes in 4 years." Zoe told her daughter with a laugh. Salem laughed too, without understanding what her mother meant.   
  
Mother and daugher spent only 4 days in Goldenlake this time, resting and repacking things more carefully. The midmorning of the fifth day marked the second leg of their journey. Salem seemed to enjoy traveling. She spent her days babbling happily away to her mother about their surroundings as they passed, and braiding NightShade's mane. Zoe, in turn, told her daughter stories of Tortall, it's past, and her very own family. She told her about the beautiful dresses and balls she would attend as a princess, and how life would be wonderful. Deep down inside, Zoe hoped all of this was true.   
  
Two weeks after leaving Goldenlake, Zoe and Salem arrived at the palace, in the evening. She slung her pack onto her back and took Salem's hand, sneaking in through a well-known back way. It appeared as if there was a ball going on. Half of her wanted to just sneak back up to her old room and fall asleep, but the other half wanted herself to be known in the palace again. The second half won quickly, and she decided on a large, chaos causing entrance. Walking up to the main doors of the ballroom, she had them opened, while trumpets blew and she was introduced. A royal servant hollered,   
  
"Now entering, Zoe Annette of Conté, Fifth Princess of Tortall!" Zoe grinned to herself as she was greeted by a large, shocking silence when she walked in. The large crowd of nobles gawked at an almost-blonde haired, paled eyed girl. Her clothes were soiled and dusty. Clutching her left hand was a small, dark haired child, dressed similarly. The princess had returned.   
  
Nathaniel looked quickly toward his wife, who was nonplussed. It was quite a feat to see Queen Irena not knowing what to do. Nathaniel's voice of reason was yelling at him. She's dead, Nathaniel! Apparently, this wasn't true, because his daughter was now standing in front of him. With a daughter of her own. Irena, however, was the first to speak.   
  
"Zoe.." she said in disbelief. It was thought that Zoe was dead, and yet she was in front of Irena's eyes. She's grown so, Irena thought, looking unflinchingly at both her daughter and Zoe's child. That had to be who it was. She had some of Zoe's features, some of which were handed down from Irena herself. Nathaniel looked at Zoe, with his knotted eyebrow raised.   
  
"Welcome back," he said, dryly, looking at Zoe. Irena reached out and smacked his forearm, remaining silent. Nathaniel barely noticed, as he continued to look at Zoe and her daughter.   
  
"Well, Zoe. I believe you have quite a few stories to tell us. Shall we go to your father's study and hear it all?" It wasn't a question, it was an order. Irena glanced at Zoe, waiting for her answer. Zoe grinned and walked up to where her parents sat. Dropping her sack on the floor with a heavy thud, she plopped casually down into a chair directly to the right of her mother, and pulled Salem up onto her lap.   
  
"Actually, Mom, Dad, I wanted to stay and watch the ball for awhile. I haven't been to one in ages." Irena gnashed her teeth together, but Nathaniel glanced over toward Zoe and Salem.   
  
"Who's this?" he asked, motioning to Salem, intrigued. Irena rolled her eyes. Sometimes her husband was so juvenile. Zoe grinned proudly, sitting up.   
  
"This is your granddaugther, Papa. Her name is Salem Karana Kedar." Zoe placed Salem down on the floor. Salem, eager to see who apparently was now her grandfather as well, tottered over to Nathaniel and smiled at him.   
  
"Hi." She said, shyly. Nathaniel grinned.   
  
"Well, hello there, Salem. I'm your Grandpapa," he said, holding his hand out toward her. "So, tell me about yourself, Salem," he said, gently. Irena glanced at Zoe and shook her head. How she had raised such a daughter was beyond her. Salem took Nathaniel's hand.   
  
"I'm Salem, and I'm from Galla, and we rode for a loooooong time!" She told her grandfather. Zoe's grinned widened, watching her daughter.   
  
"She just turned two years old about a month ago, Dad. She's really really smart. Her vocabulary is at least 300 words." Zoe explained. For the first time, both Zoe and Salem's slight Gallan accents were noticable. Nathaniel smiled.   
  
"You're from Galla, eh?" he asked. "I've got an idea. Why don't you sit up here with me, and you can see the whole ball? The King has the best seat," he said, grinning at her. Irena turned quickly to Zoe.   
  
"You went to *Galla* and got pregnant by godsknowswho?! I don't believe you!" she said, hissing at her daughter. Salem grinned widely.   
  
"Okay!" She exclaimed, and scrambled up onto Nathaniel's lap, still holding onto his hand. Zoe smirked at the queen.   
  
"Yes, Mother, I did. He was an assassin. I had originally come across him because I wanted to hire him for a job - right here in Corus, actually - but he said he doesn't murder royals." Obviously Zoe had no plans to kill, or even mildly harm her mother. All the same, however, she enjoyed watching the normally unshakeable Queen squirm in her seat, thinking that her life was truly in danger. Zoe knew it was mean, but after so many years of criticism and harsh words from Irena, this type of extreme revenge was exactly what she needed. She smirked as she watched the Queen's eyes widen, and her mouth open and close stupidly, like a fish's. Finally realizing how stupid she looked, Queen Irena closed her mouth and pursed her lips. After using another few moments to fully recover, she looked at Zoe.   
  
"I'm sorry, Zoe." It was Zoe's turn to look like a fish. She was *sorry*? Zoe didn't think she had ever heard her mother say those two words to anyone, in her entire life. Trying to regain her composure, Zoe shrugged her shoulders and smiled slightly.   
  
"Okay. Now, let's watch the ball." Irena nodded, and both mother and daughter looked back out onto the floor.


	14. Happily Ever After

  
  
Slowly, things returned to normal at the palace. Zoe's siblings welcomed her back with opens arms and many confused questions. Salem adapted to her new environment quickly, loving every stone arch and little white mouse that the castle was made up of. Zoe spent most of her time with her siblings, catching up on what had happened while she had been gone, while Salem and Nathaniel continued to bond. The months at the palace passed quickly. Zoe kept in touch with Forrest with regular letters. Over all, she was happy. Still, there was always a sadness that sat in Zoe's heart. No matter how long it had been, or how hard she believed she had truly forgotten him, Dante was still missing from her life. He had filled an essential part, and his absence was still marked by the hole Zoe had in her life.   
  
Her family did not ask much about Dante, and Zoe did not offer the information. As far as her family knew, they had been married and living happily somewhere in the Eastern Lands. No one knew why Zoe had returned, other than her simple explanation that she just needed to come home. Her simple presence seemed to pacify them, and explanations were forgotten.   
  
It was a cool autumn day in Corus, and Zoe had just returned from visiting her brother Ashton, who apparently had decided to stay in Corus for awhile. Salem was being watch by her grandfather, who doted upon Zoe's daughter practically more than anyone had ever seen him dote on his own children. Zoe was walking through one of the large stone courtyards to a popular back entrance to the north wing, when something caught her eye. Or someone, rather. A large dark figure loomed on the other side of the garden wall, watching her. Zoe stopped and watched the figure watch her. The shadow of a person began to walk towards her, scaling the fence of shrubbery with ease. As the figure got closer, Zoe began to be able to make out some of the features. It was obviously a male - Zoe could tell by the strong, broad build of the shoulders. The man had dark hair, and was clad in all black. As he walked closer, Zoe saw his skin tone was medium. It was then that a gate opened in her head, and a million different thoughts flooded. He was back. She opened her mouth, not knowing if she would even have the ability to speak.   
  
"Dante.." She managed to squeak. She watched Dante's full lips curl back into a wide smile, revealing his gleaming white teeth. He jogged the rest of the way over to her, wrapping his arms around her tightly.   
  
"Zoe.." He whispered softly. Her arms clutched Dante's body tightly, refusing to let go. She buried her face in his chest, inhaling his scent deeply. It was mixed with the awful stench of his horse, his aftershave, and several exotic smells Zoe assumed came from Carthak or wherever he had been traveling these past years.   
  
"I thought..I mean.." Zoe stumbled over her words, not knowing what to say, or where to start. Dante released her slightly, allowing him enough room to look at her and caress her cheek gently with a callused finger, smiling.   
  
"I know. I finished the job, but I was almost caught. I spent the rest of my time running, hiding in the jungles of Carthak, until they took me for dead and stop looking. I managed to travel back home, to Galla, but Mama and Papa said you had left, months ago. So I came here.." He explained, trailing off at the end. "You look so different with blonde hair." He said. "Is that your natural colour?" Zoe nodded and smiled. There was a different question on her mind.   
  
"Did they tell you about Salem?" She questioned. Dante's perfectly formed eyebrows arched.   
  
"Salem?" Zoe laughed, feeling giddy all the sudden.   
  
"Our daughter." She explained, simply. Dante's eyes widened, and he broke out into a broad grin, his whole face glowing.   
  
"We..a daughter.. how old is she? Where is she? You have to take me to her!" He exclaimed. Zoe laughed and hugged Dante again, tightly. She felt as if she were walking on air, she had never felt this joyous before.   
  
"She's in my room." She told him, and released his body, taking hold of his hand. She lead him up the winding stairs quickly, down several brightly lit hallways, and into a large bedroom. Salem was sitting on the ground, carefully building a castle from the blocks Mr.Kedar had made her so long ago, while a servant tidied the room, keeping an eye on Salem the entire the time. Dante stood dumbstruck, staring at this beautiful little creature that was his daughter. Salem sensed that she was being watched, and looked her, her deep brown eyes studying Dante intensely.   
  
"New friend?" Salem asked her mother, not looking away from Dante for a moment. Zoe smiled broadly.   
  
"No, Salem, he's much more than a new friend. He's your father.." She said softly, watching Salem's reaction. Salem studied for another moment, and then smiled brightly.   
  
"My daddy?"   
  
"Your daddy." Zoe grinned and replied. Carefully, Salem stood up and walked over to Dante, smiling up at him.   
  
"Hi daddy." She said simply, and reached out her arms to be picked up. After a moment Dante realized what her actions meant, and stooped down, hoisting his daughter into his eyes for the first time. The bond between them was already obvious, and it only grew deeper and stronger as Salem and Dante spent the afternoon and evening together. By the time Zoe was putting Salem to bed, it seemed as if Dante had not left at all. Dante smiled and watched from the doorway as Zoe tucked a sleeping Salem into her bed, tucking her doll under her small arms. She kissed her daughter's forehead and stood up, closing the door to the small side room partially. Dante smiled and put his arms around Zoe, holding her close. Neither person talked for a long time. Finally, Dante loosened his hold and look down at Zoe, stroking her hair gently. She smiled, and let Dante lead her to the bed, where they both sat down, Dante's arms still wrapped around her, one stroking her hair.   
  
"You're so different.." He told her. Zoe shifted her head slightly so she could look up into his face.   
  
"Am I?" Dante nodded.   
  
"You are. You've matured, in all senses of the word, and your hair is blonde again, and motherhood's taken its effect," he paused, laughing slightly. "And now I am an old man, far too old for you."   
  
"You're not old." She said, and kissed him. He kissed back, deepening the kiss, his arms tightening around her slim body. His hands reaches for her dress ties, and she didn't stop him.   
  
Later that night, Zoe and Dante lay in bed together, the thin sheets and blankets the only thing covering them. Zoe lazily traced the scars on Dante's chest and arms, smiling as he kissed her fingers when they were close enough to his mouth to do so. They fell asleep in one another's arms. t one point, neither new exactly when, Salem had crawled into bed between them, falling back asleep. Finally Zoe had gotten what she wanted out of life, and now things were perfect.


	15. Five Years Later

Five Years Later   
  
"Mora, you *can't* stand over by the chickens, the painting is being done by the apple tree!" An eight year old Salem Karana Kedar exclaimed, running after her little sister, Morrissey Willow Kedar, who was five and a half. Zoe laughed and watched her dark headed child run after her pale haired younger sister. Dante chuckled, and called to his girls.   
  
"Mora, Saylee, come now!" The two girls turned around, now giggling with one another, and ran back over to the large gnarled apple tree, where their parents were standing, waiting for them both. Zoe smoothed over her white dress, and then straightened Salem and Morrissey's purple ones. Dante, following suit, checked his dark outfit for wrinkles and leaves. After fixing Salem's hair for her, Zoe smiled and stood straight. Dante stood next to her, placing a large arm around her shoulders. In front, Salem and Morrissey stood, trying their best to stay still and not to fidget. The painter smiled and squinted slightly, the final portrait forming in his mind, and raised his brush and began to paint. The scene was a beautiful one. The family stood next to a large apple tree, it's branches providing shade from the mid-morning sun. In the background, lush green meadows seemed to stretch on forever, and behind them loomed the giant royal palace of Tortall, it's walls gleaming silver in the sun. Zoe smiled brightly, and relaxed against Dante, letting the painter do his job.


End file.
